Retrieving Destiny
by Murasaki Rose
Summary: YYxY,SxJ,YBxR,YMxM: While assisting his grandfather on an excavation in Egypt, Yuugi and his friends unleash seven powerful beings from their millennia-long imprisonment. Once free, these strange, dark creatures will change the lives of the teens forever
1. Chapter 1

Title: Retrieving Destiny  
Part: 1/23  
Author: Murasaki Rose  
Beta: none  
Genre: Romance/Fantasy/AU  
Rating: R  
Spoilers: Yami Yuugi's real name  
Warnings: Yaoi (male x male), implied Mpreg  
Pairings: YYxY, SxJxS, DxT, YBxR, YMxM, HxO, PxC, IxM  
Minor Pairings: BMGxA, BMxK, TxCxH  
Disclaimer: Here we go. Yu-Gi-Oh and all its characters are the property of Kazuki Takahashi, Shueisha, Konami, Toei, and unfortunately, 4 Kids Entertainment. In other words, I don't own them and I'm not making any money off of this, I'm just a fangirl having some fun.  
A/N: "text" = speech, 'text' = thought, ((text)) = telepathy

Summary: While assisting his grandfather on an excavation in Egypt for their senior class trip, Yuugi and his friends unleash seven powerful beings from their millennia-long imprisonment. These strange creatures, who call themselves "darkness", will bring about a series of life-changing events for the close-knit group of teenagers.

2,584 words | 2nd draft - 3,216 words

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_Throughout the world there are tales of magic. Fantastical animals that possessed mystical powers and human-like beings that were capable of wielding unimaginable forces. The stories claim they once lived among us, but then one day they all seemed to vanish . . ._

_What became of these amazing creatures? Was their existence purely flights of fancy, conjured up by wild imaginations? Were they real living beings that simply died out? Or was there another reason for their disappearance?_

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

**Memphis, capital city of Khemet, approximately 992 B.C.**

Retiring to his chambers for the evening, the young Pharaoh heaved a soft sigh of relief once the doors closed. It had been an unusually long and very tiring day and the eighteen year-old young man was glad it was at an end. Nerves frayed, Pharaoh Atem moved to the large balcony over looking the palace grounds and sunk onto a plush lounge chair, being careful not to crush his large wings in the process.

Watching the sun sink below the horizon the teenage royal allowed the beautiful sight, accompanied by the sounds of the everyday palace activities, to lull him into a state of relaxation. If any were to catch sight of the young man at this moment, they would surely have their breath stolen by the vision he made. Even in the fading light the sun made his bright, angular crimson eyes, framed by long, thick, black lashes, appear to glow softly. Rising above his crown, the red-edged tips of his spiky black hair were cast in a fiery glow while causing his spiky, lightening-like gold bangs and dark gold, feathery wings to glisten brightly.

Suddenly feeling a bit restless, he stretched the black-edged appendages out, but resisted the urge to take a short flight. His day was not yet over. His vizier, who rarely asked for anything and never anything the Pharaoh wasn't willing to give, had requested a private audience with him but had not given any hints as to why.

A soft knock at his doors roused him from his musings and he bade his expected guest entry.

"My Pharaoh."

Standing and folding his wings, Atem turned from the window and smiled warmly at the man who had been a large part of both his and his father's lives. "Siamun, what is it you wished to speak with me about?" he asked, casting a curious glance at the large covered basket that had been placed on his table.

Clearing his throat, the elderly man began his explanation. "As you already know, my son died a few months ago leaving his wife alone and heavy with child." He paused to collect himself, "She gave birth just this morning then followed him into the afterlife . . . but she left us with the most precious of gifts," he continued, moving to lift a small bundle out of what Atem now realized was a bassinet.

Cradling the precious bundle in the crook of one arm, Siamun lifted the cloth away from the baby's face. Huge amethyst eyes blinked owlishly in the dim light, the infant making soft sounds of discontent at having been disturbed. Atem chuckled at the cute expression, the warm sound bringing the child's focus straight to him. Amethyst locked with crimson and something in the Pharaoh's heart sang, could it be . . .

Siamun smiled at the young man he'd help raise, knowing now that he'd been right in his assumptions. Carefully, he handed the baby to his king, adjusting his hold until both teenager and infant were comfortable. "Atem meet Heba (1), my grandson and your **_akhu_** (2). Heba meet Atem, your Pharaoh and _**kkwy**_ (3)."

Atem smiled and stroked a finger down the baby's soft, chubby cheek bringing a giggle from the newborn, "Welcome home, my Heba."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

With the ease of familiarity, a pretty, sky blue-eyed brunette teen fed a six month-old Heba while answering the steady stream of questions coming from her little "helpers". The boys had come into the nursery some time ago and had been playing with the baby the entire time.

"So this is where you two snuck off to," a voice called out, making the small figures jump guiltily. A tall, well-built, blond-haired man with honey-brown eyes and tanned skin had just entered the room, a mock-scowl on his face, his slender, red draconic wings (4) folded against his back.

"We're sorry Jono. We just wanted to play with Heba," Seto replied, the pale-skinned five year-old turning sad, bright blue eyes on the _**ms-n hwi**_.

"We weren't being any trouble either, were we Teana?" Rasui (5) insisted, the equally pale eight year-old's dark brown eyes wide and liquid.

"You're both supposed to be doing your studies," the blond admonished, attempting to remain firm. Amazingly, the boys' eyes went even wider, drawing a defeated groan from the man. "Argh, I don't know how Bakura and Seth can resist you two!" Jono exclaimed, dropping down and sweeping the two **_akhu_** into a hug.

"They've actually been quite helpful," the other _**ms-n hwi**_ told him while burping her charge, being careful to keep her delicate blue fairy wings out of the infant's reach. Said tiny infant letting out a burp that rivaled even Jono's best then cooing in content afterwards. "Heba gets bored so easily. I constantly have to come up with new games for him. They were both a welcome distraction for him."

"A little game master already are ya?" the blond asked the infant, releasing the boys to ruffle the baby's spiky, tri-colored hair.

Laughing, Heba attempted to grasp the fingers Jono was now wiggling in front of him, squealing in delight when he'd catch one then letting it go to try and catch another.

"So Jono, why were you looking for these two? Other than that they were skipping out on their lessons." the blue-eyed brunette asked, curious as to what had brought him to see Seto without Seth. During court, Jono normally remained at the High Priest's side guarding over his lover and their Pharaoh.

"Weeellll," the blond said standing and ruffling silver and auburn locks as he did, "I just thought they'd want to know that Bakura's back-"

"Really?!" both boys squealed happily. Rasui's _**kkwy**_ had been gone for months on a mission, leaving his young light restless and pining for his return.

"He's in the main receiving room with the Pharaoh and the priests," Jono told them, sighing when they both bolted from the room.

"Don't run!" he called after them. Hoping to stave off a disaster, or at least skinned knees, he headed for the door pausing to look back at the brunette _**ms-n hwi**_.

Teana waved him on, "Go on, we'll catch up." As the blond _**ms-n hwi**_ ran off, the young woman looked down to see Heba waving after him in perfect mimicry of her. "Oh boy, we'd better watch you around Bakura, huh?"

Heba giggled.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The thundering sound of small feet stampeding towards the room sounded more like a horde of children, instead of the two that raced inside. Not even slowing their pace, the two boys made a beeline for the tanned, russet-eyed, silver-haired man talking with the Pharaoh.

"Bakura!" Rasui cried out, launching himself into the infiltrator's arms. "You're back!" he squealed, snuggling into his **_kkwy_**'s embrace and giggling softly as the man curled his black bat wings around them.

"Did you get to fight bad guys again?" Seto asked, ducking under the large wings to attach himself to the tall man's leg. Bakura always had the best stories!

"Why don't you let Bakura rest a while first?" Seth suggested to the two lights, smiling when Seto detached himself from the spy to run to his own darkness.

"Perhaps they'd like to play in the gardens with Chris?" a soft voice asked, drawing the attention of the two little ones to their other guests. The one who'd spoken, a short, light orange-haired man with dark gray eyes, was smiling warmly at them, white aqua-iridescent, liquid wings folded behind his back, his hands resting on the shoulders of a little girl with gray eyes and brown hair tied in buns high on the sides of her head. Standing next to them with his arm around the smaller man's waist, was a tall man with golden eyes, long, aqua hair and spiky bangs and wings that were a black reflection of the other's.

"An excellent idea, my love," the aqua-haired man concurred, "We can even have Timeaus, Critias, and Hermos go with and keep them out of trouble." Dartz suppressed a chuckle at the slightly panicked looks on his knights' faces. He would never understand how the greatest warriors of Atlantis were so unnerved by spending time alone with children.

With a promise to visit him before bed, Bakura placed Rasui on his feet and gave the boy a gentle push towards the young girl. One quick hug from Seth later and Seto was off and dragging Rasui and Chris out of the room, followed closely by their reluctant guardians.

"You shouldn't be so mean to them, dear," Tryphon (6) admonished his husband.

The Atlantean king grinned at his light unrepentantly, "If we don't get them used to children now, what are they going to do when we start expanding our family?"

"Barricade themselves in their rooms?" Atem joked, chuckling at the Atlanteans' antics.

"What did I miss?" Teana asked quietly, stepping up behind Jono after she'd finally arrived with a clean and dry, albeit squirmy, Heba.

"King Dartz sentencing his knights to death by babysitting," Jono replied solemnly, making Teana struggle to not burst into laughter.

Catching sight of the female _**ms-n hwi**_'s shaking wings, the Pharaoh waved the woman over, eager to introduce his light to the others. Taking the wiggling bundle from the brunette, Atem turned back to Bakura and his guests.

"Dartz, Tryphon, Bakura, I'd like to introduce you to Siamun's grandson, my **_akhu_**, Heba."

"Congratulations my friend," Dartz spoke warmly, "it has been a long time coming."

Bakura nodded in agreement, watching Tryphon and Heba as the older light cooed over the infant one. For a long time the priests had worried over the Pharaoh's absent light, but now everyone could rest easy now that the last member of the royal court had found their soul mate.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

In an underground cave cloaked by magic, a dark robed figure approached his master with news of their progress, dropping to his knees and bowing to the ground.

"Have the items been completed yet?" the master asked, motioning for the man to rise.

"Yes, my master," the acolyte reassured him. "All that remains is the spell needed for the Atlantean king."

"When will it be completed?"

"Tomorrow night at the latest, my master."

"Good," the master replied, dismissing his servant. '_Soon. Soon you and all your fellow abominations will be gone forever, my Pharaoh,_' the man thought, his chilling laughter filling the chamber.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The soft sound of the door creaking open woke the room's two occupants before the small figure entering could even get the door shut again.

"Seto? What are you doing in here my light?" Seth asked the teary eyed boy that was climbing up onto his bed.

"I had a bad dream," he sniffled, crawling in between Seth and Jono. "I dreamed that bad men came and started hurting people, then they hurt you an Jono and were gonna hurt me, but that's when I woke up."

"Aww, it's okay little one," Jono soothed the young **_akhu_**, stroking his soft cinnamon-brown hair. "You're safe here with me an Seth," he reassured the child while Seth stretched out a wide black dragon wing to cover his lover and his light.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

A loud explosion rocked the palace, sending the occupants on high alert. Mahaado, Mana, and Kisara took off immediately towards the source of the sound, prepared to defend the palace and their pharaoh. Following the two magicians and dragon woman, Timeaus, Critias, and Hermos rushed to join them determined that none would harm the Atlantean royals as well. No sooner had they left the room, Jono, Mie' (7), and Hondo (8) went to join Teana with Seto and Heba, while the three remaining Atlantean _**ms-n hwi**_ were sent to protect their princess and queen.

Unwilling to remain entirely idle, Atem stretched out his powers to contact the two absent **_kkwy_** only to be met with silence. The grim expression that crossed the young Pharaoh's face caught the Atlantean king's attention, "What's wrong, Atem?"

"I am unable to reach Bakura or Marik. I can not even sense them," he confided in the other. "I have a bad feeling that something has happened to them."

"Something HAS happened to them, my Pharaoh," a sinister voice rang out mockingly.

"Who are you and how did you get by our _**ms-n hwi**_?!" Seth snarled, moving in front of the Pharaoh along with the other priests.

"I am the Sorcerer Amaht (9), but that will be of no concern to you, just like your _**ms-n hwi**_ were to me," the man sneered haughtily.

"What did you do to them?!" Dartz roared, knowing his knights would never allow any threat to pass while they were still alive.

"I think you should be more concerned with your own fate rather than that of your guard dogs," the sorcerer sneered, "But if you must know, I've sent them all to another dimension."

"WHAT?!"

"And as for the your fellow monstrosities . . ." The man paused to wave two golden objects tauntingly in front of the Pharaoh: a ring with a triangle and eye in the center, and five cones hanging from the outside of the circlet and a set of scales bearing the same eye mark, "My acolytes and I have already sealed both your infiltrator and your tomb builder." He smiled nastily, "They were easy to defeat with their wretched **_akhu_** dead."

"You monster!" Isis gasped in horror, holding back her tears. The thought that her brother's light, the cheerful and mischievous Malik, and Bakura's shy and sweet Rasui had both been killed was far too painful. "You murdered children to seal them?!"

"Gladly," Amaht gloated, "You **_kkwy_** and your **_akhu_** are abominations. Monsters parading about our world in mockery of true humans, you and your _**ms-n hwi**_ have no right living amongst humans!"

"What gives you the right to make that decision?!" Atem snarled angrily.

"My humanity," the sorcerer replied as though he thought the answer obvious. Signaling his men to begin the ritual, he muttered a quick spell to seal the room off. "Now, which one of you should I seal first?"

"You couldn't defeat Marik or Bakura while their lights were alive, what makes you think you stand a chance against all of us?" Otogi growled, shadows already curling about his hands. With a shout he released the energy in a blast that headed straight for the sorcerer . . . and rebounded! Green eyes widened in shock as blood red bat wings snapped around his body in defense, barely blocking the attack in time. The resulting concussion knocking the young priest flat on his back and as he started to sit up the sorcerer began to laugh.

"Did I forget to mention that my acolytes and I can draw power from the very items you are sealed in?" Amaht laughed again, reveling in the angry and astonished faces of the abominations. They knew their time was at an end.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

In their chambers, the Atlantean queen had not been idle. He would protect his child. "Hold still little one, I'm going to send you someplace safe," Tryphon told his daughter, weaving his hands in the beginnings of a spell.

"You and daddy are coming too, right?" Chris asked, biting her lip nervously as she hugged her doll tightly.

"Of course sweetheart," he replied, being quick to reassure his daughter, "I'm going to send the other lights to you first, then I'll come and we'll all wait for your father together okay?"

"Promise?" Tryphon nodded, pausing to hug his only child before continuing the spell. The light began to chant the final part of the spell, putting all his concentration into protecting his daughter. Bands of light rose around the girl, surrounding her in a glowing bubble that suddenly vanished with a silent pop. Now Chris would sleep between this world and the next, safe from all harm until he retrieved her. Heart heavy, he quickly ran from his room in the direction of where the other lights were being guarded, knowing he had to reach them before the enemy did. But after they were safe, he would not be joining them, not while he was capable of fighting. Tryphon might not have been a warrior, but he was no weakling and he could not stand idle while his beloved husband fought for their lives.

Reaching the great hall he was caught up short by what he found: the remaining Atlantean knights: Polemistis, Sotiris, and Athene, all dead. Covering his mouth with one hand, he started backing up in horror, stopping when his back came up against another person.

"Looks like we won't have to look for the Atlantean queen after all," a sinister voice, laced with dark amusement, commented.

Tryphon's head whipped around just in time to spot the strange man's dagger coming down . . .

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

With a cry of agony, the blond warrior finally fell to the ground. He had failed. Teana, Hondo, and Mie' were already dead and he would soon follow. He didn't know what had happened to Tryphon and the other Atlanteans. Seth and the other darks were gone, he could feel it, and now no one was left to protect his lover's light and the Pharaoh's infant **_akhu_** that had been left in his care.

"Jono!" Seto's terrified voice cried out. Running to the fallen _**ms-n hwi**_, he dove onto the blond, a frightened Heba wailing loudly in his little arms.

"Wake up Jono! Please wake up!" the boy pleaded against the dying blond's chest even his consciousness began to fade. Seto and Heba's screams as they were pulled away the last sounds in his ears.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Katsuya Jonouchi gasped sharply as he shot up in bed. Panting heavily, he scanned the room confusedly, with eyes wide in shock, and his heart thundering loudly in his chest. Warm arms suddenly wrapped around him from behind, causing him to jump in fright before he recognized the owner of those arms. Relaxing into the comforting embrace of his lover Seto Kaiba, he tried to calm himself.

"What's wrong, pup? Did you have that dream again?" Seto asked, brushing sweat-matted bangs out of the blond's honey-brown eyes.

"Y-yeah," the blond stuttered, cuddling into Seto's arms. "I know it's just a dream . . . but it feels so real." Burying his face in the crook of the auburn-haired teen's neck, Jou sighed contentedly, his heart rate beginning to calm.

"My invitation is still open . . ." the slightly taller teen offered, hoping his boyfriend would open up. He'd been trying to get the blond to talk about his re-occurring dream for over a week now, but with no success.

"I know, Seto. Maybe . . . maybe I'll be ready to talk about it in the morning."

November 10, 2008  
-edited February 23, 2009

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

1 - game (ancient Egyptian)

2 - light (ancient Egyptian)

3 - darkness (ancient Egyptian)

4 - think Red-Eyes Black Dragon, but in red.

5 - dream (ancient Egyptian)

6 - softness, delicacy (ancient Greek) I swear he's not an OC, this past-life name is something I made up, but he is a legitimate character from the series.

7 - name of a cat god (ancient Egyptian), pronounced mai-ay

8 - war (ancient Egyptian)

9 - to have power over (ancient Egyptian)


	2. Chapter 2

I'd like to start off with a big "Thank you!" to everyone who has favorited, watched, or reviewed this story. You guys make me feel loved. *_grins hugely_* For those who haven't read my bio or aren't on Little Dragon, Retrieving Destiny was my NaNoWriMo project and a major labor of love. I hope you all will continue enjoying the story, even though the version here will be edited to an "R" format to comply with FFN's policies. For those of you interested in the unedited version, you'll find links in my bio to my accounts at AFF, Mediaminer, and Little Dragon as well as my own website, all of which will host the original, unedited version of my story.

~ Murasaki Rose

* * *

Title: Retrieving Destiny  
Part: 2/23  
Author: Murasaki Rose  
Beta: none  
Genre: Romance/Fantasy/AU  
Rating: R  
Spoilers: Yami Yuugi's real name  
Warnings: Yaoi (male x male), implied Mpreg  
Pairings: YYxY, SxJxS, DxT, YBxR, YMxM, HxO, PxC, IxM  
Minor Pairings: BMGxA, BMxK, TxCxH  
Disclaimer: Here we go. Yu-Gi-Oh and all its characters are the property of Kazuki Takahashi, Shueisha, Konami, Toei, and unfortunately, 4 Kids Entertainment. In other words, I don't own them and I'm not making any money off of this, I'm just a fangirl having some fun.  
A/N: "text" = speech, 'text' = thought, ((text)) = telepathy

Summary: While assisting his grandfather on an excavation in Egypt for their senior class trip, Yuugi and his friends unleash seven powerful beings from their millennia-long imprisonment. These strange creatures, who call themselves "darkness", will bring about a series of life-changing events for the close-knit group of teenagers.

2,856 words

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**Duelist Kingdom, present day**

Pegasus J. Crawford had always known he was different. Highly intelligent and inquisitive, as a child he'd been drawn to both the supernatural and the paranormal, reading every fantasy book he could find and filling his notepads with detailed drawings of mythological beings. He was always searching for proof that magical creatures really did exist despite the disapproval of his parents and the teasing he'd gotten from his peers.

Then he'd turned thirteen.

The poor boy had suffered miserably for days, not knowing that the high fever and sharp pains between his shoulders were all just a precursor to the next stage of his development: his wings. The two foot long, black appendages had burst forth from his back in a blast of energy, leaving him exhausted and very, very confused. But despite his love for the toonish batwings, his fear of what others would think instinctively gave him the knowledge of how to retract them, though he often brought them out where no one could see. For years after that, the teenager had pored over every single document he could find pertaining to any type of winged humanoid. Researching stories from every ancient culture he found nothing useful until he got a hold of a book of obscure Ancient Egyptian legends, but even the information there was sketchy at best.

When Cynthia came into his life his priorities quickly changed. The pull he had felt around her was indescribable and soon his whole world revolved around the gentle blue-eyed blonde. It was Cynthia who had convinced him to use his intelligence to combine his artistic talents and his apparent love of mythology into a game. Duel Monsters quickly became a hit and it was on the eve of the game's first anniversary that Pegasus had finally showed her his wings.

With the now three foot long appendages stretched out, the silver-haired man had apprehensively awaited her reaction. He'd been immensely relieved and delighted when she began cooing over them while delicately running her hands along the edges in awe.

Pegasus had immediately asked her to marry him.

Much to both their surprise, Cynthia sprouted a pair of white, toonish angel wings on their wedding night, and the two had gained a strange but welcome mental bond as well. The occurrence of these strange events had prompted the young man to begin his search once more, this time armed with experience, money, and a supportive wife.

Returning to the Egyptian legends he'd found before, Pegasus discovered the legend of the Sennen Items and the tragedy of the court of Pharaoh Atem: a kind and benevolent ruler, said to have possessed wings the color of sunlight, who was betrayed and imprisoned by a powerful sorcerer. The full extent of the tragedy striking him hard when he realized that not only was the legend true but somewhere beneath the sands of Egypt there were others of his kind imprisoned.

During the time he was hunting down legends, Duel Monsters had become a worldwide phenomena and his board of directors was insisting that he attend the national and international tournaments. Eventually he gave in to their request, after all he did love watching people play and enjoy his game, but he felt that his presence would seem a bit pretentious. Cynthia and the duelists had disagreed.

He never expected to find others of his kind there.

When he first met Yuugi Mutou and Seto Kaiba at the Duel Monsters World Championships he was shocked speechless. The two boys were the spitting images of the carvings he'd seen of the Pharaoh Atem and High Priest Seth, minus the huge wings of course. Strangely they both exuded the same light aura his wife did, leading him to believe that they were the **_akhu_** reborn. Galvanized by his accidental discovery, the eccentric man redoubled his efforts in finding the Sennen Items and began a second search for the remaining _**akhu**_ who had died three thousand years ago, a strange inner sense telling him that they were all alive again and that he must find them as quickly as possible.

Now, twelve years after he first learned the legend of the Sennen Items, his search was at an end.

"Finally, I've found the last one!" the silver haired man shouted, throwing his hands up in delighted relief.

"Really?" a melodic voice asked, startling him so badly he almost into fell over in his chair.

"Ah! Cynthia my darling! I didn't hear you come in!" he exclaimed, turning around to pull the pretty blond woman into his lap. "And yes, I have finally found the last of the reincarnations." He smiled and gently cupped her cheek with one hand, "Now all that remains is getting them to Egypt."

"Do you think they'll come?" she asked, holding his hand to her cheek.

"I'm sure I can come up with ways to entice them into coming," he reassured his lovely wife, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

**Domino City, Japan, three months later**

Bouncing on the balls of his feet, a short teenager with spiky, star-shaped hair waited anxiously on the street corner for his best friend, his long, jagged, lightning-like blond bangs, and magenta-tipped black locks of hair bobbing with his movement.

Spotting the lanky blond coming up the street, his large amethyst eyes lit up in delight. "Jonouchi-kun!" the petite eighteen year-old called out cheerfully, receiving a friendly wave in return.

"Hey Yuugi!" Katsuya Jonouchi greeted his friend, grabbing the small teen in a light headlock when he reached him. "How was your weekend?" he asked casually as though his best friend wasn't flailing in his grasp. Dragging the shorter teen along, Jonouchi's honey-brown eyes sparkled with amusement from beneath his shaggy bangs as he tried not to laugh at the muttered threats and curses coming from the smaller male.

Unwilling to go down without a fight, Yuugi Mutou decided to make good with his threats and started poking at the blond's unprotected midsection searching for a par-tic-ulaaar spot . . . there! A sharp bark of laughter from the blond told the petite teen that he'd found his mark and he ruthlessly took advantage of it, tickling his best friend for all his worth until the other teen was forced to release him. Free from the clutches of his taller friend, Yuugi carefully finger-combed his hair back into shape before shooting Jonouchi a scathing glare that, with his wide eyes and cherubic features, didn't look very menacing.

"Jerk," he grumbled, tugging sharply on the blond's shaggy, shoulder-length hair.

"Aww, I'm sorry Yuugi. Don't be mad," Jonouchi pleaded, giving the tri-color haired teen his best "kicked puppy" face.

Deciding the blond deserved a bit more punishment Yuugi huffed and walked away ignoring the blond's pleas for forgiveness until they met up with Anzu and Honda.

Having witnessed this scene many times before, Hiroto Honda rolled his hazel eyes at his oldest friend. Knowing Jonouchi, the blond had either given their small friend a noogie or put him in a headlock . . or both. Having grown up with the blond, the brunet teen had been on the receiving end of those antics more than once, but it didn't bother him as much as it did Yuugi, since his own college-cut styled hair was easy to put back into it's wedge shape and he was big enough to properly retaliate.

The other brunette Anzu Mazaki, simply rolled her light blue eyes and attempted to hide her amused expression behind her short bangs and above the shoulder, bob-cut hair. The only girl in their group, Anzu had been Yuugi's friend ever since they first met back in grade school and was fiercely protective of him. She'd been thrilled when her once-shy childhood friend had befriended the rough and lanky blond and even after all this time it never ceased to amuse her how over-dramatic Jonouchi would get when Yuugi pretended to ignore him, sometimes going so far as to latch onto the petite teen's leg in an attempt to make the smaller male drag him along. Of course, Yuugi wasn't anywhere near strong enough to drag him so they just ended up stopping until Yuugi gave in and "forgave" the blond.

Which was a perfect description of the current situation.

This time though, Jonouchi had decided to up the ante and was currently sobbing and wailing in an incredibly over-dramatic display of theatrics while Yuugi desperately attempted to keep a straight face. Unfortunately all the noise was starting to draw a crowd and at Anzu's insistence the two boys dropped their act and the four friends ran off, not slowing their pace until they turned off the street.

Catching sight of his friends Ryou Masayume (1) smiled brightly and reached down to tap the shoulder of Tomoya Hanasaki (2). Gray eyes blinked in momentary confusion from behind wire-rimmed glasses as the small teen looked up from his manga at the chocolate-eyed boy standing next to him.

"Yuugi-tachi is here," Ryou told him, brushing an errant lock of his thick, jagged cut, waist-length silver hair back over his shoulder.

"Ah! Ohayoo minna!" Hanasaki exclaimed, shoving his manga back into his backpack as he stood.

"Morning guys!" Honda greeted the two slim-built teens, ruffling Hanasaki's short, messy cut, light orange hair. Pouting, the slight teen repaired the minor damage, receiving a sympathetic smile from Yuugi.

"Why do they always have to mess up my hair!" the small teen pouted as the group headed toward school. Hanasaki stood just a few centimeters taller than the tri-color haired teen, making him and Yuugi two of the shortest boys in their class, much to their immense frustration.

"At least it wasn't a headlock," Yuugi grumbled, falling in step beside him.

"Jonouchi-kun?"

Yuugi nodded, "Jonouchi-kun."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Stepping out of his limo Seto Kaiba immediately began scanning the school grounds, his bright blue eyes sharp and focused as he searched for a specific head of blond hair belonging to his boyfriend Katsuya Jonouchi. Normally when Jonouchi stayed at his home over the weekend they would ride to school together, but today Seto's younger brother Mokuba had needed to be at school extra early, so Jou had opted to walk with their friends instead.

It wasn't a bad arrangement for either teenager however it left the taller youth with the annoying task of having to track down his wayward puppy. Scowling when he saw no sign of his boyfriend, the tall youth tucked a rogue strand of his neatly cut shoulder-length auburn hair back behind his ear and stalked into the courtyard. He was so focused on his search that he failed to notice the figure creeping up rapidly behind him.

"Mornin' beautiful." A husky male voice breathed into his ear as the speaker's hands clasped his shoulders firmly. Then those same hands quickly spun him around and pulled Seto flush against the chest of a mischievously grinning Jonouchi before the startled teen could even think of tensing up.

"You're impossible," Seto grumped, scowling at his lover to hide the matching grin that threatened to break free.

Not fooled in the least, a still grinning Jonouchi playfully flicked the center lock of auburn hair that hung lower than the rest of Seto's bangs, "but you love me anyway."

"Always pup," Seto replied, giving up his charade to capture Jou's lips in a tender kiss, his arms coming up to hold the blond in return.

Making a soft approving hum, Jou leaned into the gentle embrace, content to lose himself in his lover's arms . . .

"Jonouchi! Kaiba! If you two don't separate this instant, I'll send you both to the office for a PDA violation!"

The shrill voice of the assistant principal pierced their ears violently, causing both boys to jerk apart. Jonouchi was embarrassed at having been caught . . . again, but Seto was beyond pissed at the interruption. Directing his icy glare at the harridan still screeching at them, he was frustrated beyond belief when not only did she have the nerve to glare back, she also kept lecturing them!

"-don't care if you are legal adults. I won't have you setting a bad example for the younger students!" she chastised the pair, determined to get her point across. Fortunately for the two teens, the telltale sounds of an impending fight drew her attention to the far side of the courtyard and she quickly left them to ward off disaster.

Wanting to avoid further conflict with the overly moralistic administrator, the blue-eyed teen wrapped an arm back around Jou's waist and quickly guided the blond towards the front entrance of the school and their awaiting friends.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

By the last class of the day most of the students at Domino High were barely hanging in, their attention broken by even the slightest distraction as they eagerly awaited the final bell that would set them free. Yuugi was the exception to this rule. This was because Yuugi's last class was World History, his absolute favorite subject. Somewhat of a History buff, Yuugi placed the blame of this particular quirk on the same shoulders responsible for his unusual hair, his grandfather.

When their History teacher, an attractive middle-aged woman who had yet to lose her love of teaching, came into the room it was immediately obvious that she was excited about something. Her eyes were sparkling and she had a slight bounce in her step as she made her way to the front of the classroom that had everyone's attention on her.

Stepping up to the podium she sat her book and lesson planner down, then picking up a lone sheet of paper from the top, cleared her throat before she began to speak, "All right class, I have an exciting announcement!

I just received news today that out of all the senior classes in Domino City, OUR class has been selected for a wonderful, once in a lifetime opportunity! We've been specially chosen to participate in a real-live archaeological dig in Egypt!"

Amidst the excited murmurs of his classmates, Yuugi sat up straight in his chair, his eyes wide with surprise, they were going to Egypt?! No way!

But the more their teacher explained, the more Yuugi came to believe and the happier he got. He was finally going to see Egypt! He couldn't wait to tell his grandpa!

Behind him, Jonouchi felt his heart begin pounding in anticipation maybe he could find the answers to his dreams in the country they seemed to occur in?

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Tadaima Jiichan! (3)" Yuugi bellowed cheerfully as he entered the tiny game shop he called home. Orphaned at infancy, the small teen had been raised by his eccentric grandfather and it was from him that he gained his love and mastery of games of all kinds. In his youth his grandfather, Sugoroku Mutou, had traveled the world seeking out dangerous games, spending his later years working at archaeological digs up until he took over Yuugi's care. So young Yuugi had grown up hearing Sugoroku's tales of travel, ancient legends, and magic and curses, all of which were fueling his growing excitement for the upcoming trip, he just knew his grandfather would say yes!

When he didn't receive an immediate answer to his greeting, the small teen frowned thoughtfully and made his way up the stairs. Why hadn't his grandfather answered him?

Reaching the apartment above the shop, he called out again, kicking off his shoes and dropping his backpack in the living room as he waited for a reply. Before he could get too concerned the familiar sound of his grandfather's voice drifted in from the kitchen and Yuugi realized that he must be on the phone. Interest piqued, he went to find out who he was talking with, stopping just outside the doorway when he noticed something odd. It wasn't often his grandpa had phone calls in English. Leaning against the wall, he cocked his head towards the kitchen and focused on translating:

"Of course I'll make sure they all come."

Silence.

"If I have any trouble I'll be sure to call."

Yuugi strained to hear the voice of the person his grandfather was talking to.

"I'll talk to you after the forms are in. Goodbye."

With the conversation over, Yuugi decided it would be best to enter the kitchen and ask before he was caught. "I'm back from school Jiichan!" he chirped, bouncing into the kitchen to give his grandfather a hug.

"Welcome home, Yuugi!" the elderly man exclaimed returning the greeting and the hug. "Did you have a good day?"

The small teen grinned and nodded enthusiastically at his equally short grandfather before attempting to satisfy his curiosity. "Jiichan, who were you talking to?" he asked innocently, as though he hadn't been eavesdropping.

"Oh, just an old friend of mine from America," the elderly man reassured the teen, ruffling his hair fondly.

"Jiichan!" Yuugi protested, "Not you too!"

Sugoroku just chuckled, "So did anything interesting happen today?" he asked to distract his sulking grandson.

Irritation forgotten, Yuugi perked up instantly, "You won't believe where my class gets to go . . !"

-

February 28, 2009

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

1 - dream that comes true, Japanese

2 - Tomoya Hanasaki. Cute little guy who appears twice in Volume 1, becomes friends with Yuugi-tachi in Volume 3, shows up again in Volume 5 then kinda disappears, which I've always thought is rather sad. He's just a couple inches taller than Yuugi and I figured that he'd have done a little growing too. Since there's no set color scheme for him in the manga, his hair and eye color are my own concoction and if you go here:

http: / / deviantart .com/art/Tomoya-Hanasaki-Age-18-114221730 (remove extra spaces) you can see how I've pictured him for this story.

3 - I'm home Grandpa!


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Retrieving Destiny  
Part: 3/23  
Author: Murasaki Rose  
Beta: none  
Genre: Romance/Fantasy/AU  
Rating: R  
Spoilers: Yami Yuugi's real name  
Warnings: Yaoi (male x male), implied Mpreg  
Pairings: YYxY, SxJxS, DxT, YBxR, YMxM, HxO, PxC, IxM  
Minor Pairings: BMGxA, BMxK, TxCxH  
Disclaimer: Here we go. Yu-Gi-Oh and all its characters are the property of Kazuki Takahashi, Shueisha, Konami, Toei, and unfortunately, 4 Kids Entertainment. In other words, I don't own them and I'm not making any money off of this, I'm just a fangirl having some fun.  
A/N: "text" = speech, 'text' = thought, ((text)) = telepathy

Summary: While assisting his grandfather on an excavation in Egypt for their senior class trip, Yuugi and his friends unleash seven powerful beings from their millennia-long imprisonment. These strange creatures, who call themselves "darkness", will bring about a series of life-changing events for the close-knit group of teenagers.

1,434 words | 2nd draft - 1,859 words

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

**Domino International Airport, five weeks later**

Having been left with the task of keeping his roughly thirty teenage students in one place while they waited for their flight was proving to be quite the challenge for the class' homeroom teacher. He'd managed to hold their attention for a short period of time as he'd explained the rules for their stop over in India, but after that he'd lost them again. Fortunately for his sanity, he had some assistance in the form of eleven archaeology majors accompanying them on their flight.

Sitting off to one side of the main group was Yuugi and his friends. For some reason they'd wanted to separate from the group a bit (Seto had just wanted to get Katsuya away from Mai Kujaku, a pretty blond who had student taught a couple of lessons to their class. She also liked to flirt with Jou.) and get their bearings. A strange sense of anticipation had settled over the small group waiting quietly and semi-patiently for Yugi's grandfather and his friend Professor Yoshimori (1) to return with their tickets. Each one the seven teens feeling that after this trip, nothing would ever be the same.

The other senior classes had been both envious and relieved that their class had been given such an opportunity, but overall they were relieved. Instead of spending their summer vacation digging up artifacts in the hot Egyptian sun, they'd be heading out to the more popular vacation spots like Kyoto, Tokyo or Hokkaido so most of their grumbling was superficial at best. Not to say that Yugi's entire class was excited about the trip either. Several of their classmates had wanted to pass on the trip in favor of a more relaxing trip, but in the end their parents had overridden their decisions. Many of their classmates were surprised that Kaiba was going with them and willingly at that. Most had expected him to turn down the trip in favor of whisking his boyfriend off on a private vacation.

His back against the wall, Seto tightened his grip around Katsuya's waist while tossing icy glares at Mai any time she got too close. He knew that Jou was his, body, mind, heart, and soul, and that there was no way the blond woman could ever come between them but that didn't make him any less jealous. Still, for Katsuya's sake he'd endure the harpy's presence and use the trip as planned to help his pup sleep well again.

Stifling a sigh, Jou snuggled into Seto's possessive embrace, allowing his auburn-haired lover to quietly vent his jealously. He actually thought it was cute that his boyfriend was jealous of his junior high crush.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Yuugi sighed in relief as he flopped down face first onto his bed, "Unless the building catches on fire, I am not moving until tomorrow," he declared, his voice muffled slightly by the bedding. Jet lag was hell, especially on someone not used to travel.

A sympathetic groan and an exhausted grunt from the room's other two occupants reached his ears. Letting his head fall to one side, Yuugi could see Ryou curling up in a ball on the bed next to his, the silver-haired teen already attempting to fall asleep, and was just barely able to see Hanasaki kicking off his sneakers in his peripheral vision.

"Hey guys," Ryou began, waiting for them both to acknowledge him before continuing. "Do you . . . do you get the feeling like we're coming home?"

Yuugi thought about it for a moment before answering, "Kinda. It almost feels like we're supposed to be here."

"I don't feel quite the same, but I do know where you're coming from," Hanasaki answered. "I feel very welcome. Like I've been here visiting a lot. It's really weird . . . I don't even feel this comfortable visiting my relatives," the teen admitted, sitting up briefly to remove his glasses and place them on the bedside table.

"I know what you mean," Ryou replied, Yuugi nodding in agreement next to him. "Maybe we'll understand more when we aren't so tired."

"Yeah." The other two teens agreed, shutting off the lamps by their beds and falling asleep almost instantly too tired to even bother climbing under the covers.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

In the room next door, not all the occupants were as ready for sleep.

Palms and nose pressed against the glass, Jonouchi's honey-brown eyes excitedly scanned the street below them. "Ya think we could walk around the city for a bit?" he asked, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet.

"Man, how can you even think of walking?" Honda groaned from his bed more than happy to stay there. "Don't you even feel the jet-lag?"

"Yeah. I'm just too excited to sleep!"

The brunet stared at his best friend in shock, "You have got to be kidding me! Sugoroku-jiisan was waaay more excited about this trip than you and he's already asleep!" he exclaimed, jerking a thumb in the direction of the already slumbering adult.

Leaving the window, Jou walked over and plopped down next to Honda, "Don't you get the feeling that something important is gonna happen? Like there's something that's been waiting for you to get here?" he asked, his expression serious.

Honda sighed, knowing full well that Jonouchi wouldn't leave him alone in less he gave an honest answer. "Okay. I have been feeling kinda weird since we landed, like I've been gone on a long trip and just got home. Which is nuts since this IS a long trip from home." He paused for a moment before continuing, "BUT right now the thing I'm feeling the most is jet lag."

"Which is precisely why we are going to bed, pup," Seto interjected, exiting the steam-filled bathroom already dressed for bed. Crossing the room he grabbed Jou by the arm and hauled him over to the remaining unoccupied bed. "Sleep. Now," he told the blond in a tone that brooked no arguments.

Sighing, Jou turned to Honda one last time, "You sure you don't mind us sharing a bed?"

The brunet shrugged, "It's like Sugoroku-jiisan said, as long as all you two do is sleep, that's fine with me."

"Thanks man," Jou replied, diving under the covers and snuggling up to his boyfriend. Seto reached up and switched off the lamp with the arm not curled around Katsuya and the teens settled in for the night. All was quiet . . . for about a minute.

"Hey Seto?"

"Go to sleep Katsuya," Seto interrupted the blond before he could even get started.

"Aww."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Early the next morning the students were hustled out of bed and down to the hotel's cafe for breakfast. Over a hearty meal of Fooll Mudammes (2) the sleepy teens were given their itinerary for the dig. As they'd been expecting, much of their time would be spent digging, cleaning, and cataloging items, but they would also be helping with the cooking, dishes, and other mundane tasks necessary in keeping the operation running. There was some grumbling heard after that fact had been divulged, but it was cheerfully ignored by the adults in charge.

After breakfast the students piled onto a bus and headed south for the small village of Mit Rahina (3). They arrived in time for a late lunch and after a light meal then took a brief tour of the ruins before meeting up with their contact from the dig site. The whole group was then divided between another, smaller bus and several SUVs. It was a tight fit, especially considering that each vehicle had been loaded with supplies for the camp, but with a little creative rearranging they managed to squeeze everyone in.

All the high school students had been crammed on to the bus, everyone sharing a seat and sometimes even a lap to make room. Combining these ultra-cramped conditions with the sweltering heat on a long, bumpy, un-air-conditioned ride made for a group of very cranky and miserable teens. In an attempt to alleviate the boredom and distract them from their misery, Sugoroku regaled the group with tales of curses, grave robbers, and all manner of legends. While some of the teens scoffed at the stories, most of them were completely enraptured, just as Yuugi was every time he heard them.

Some time later, they finally arrived at the campsite with Sugoroku imparting one last bit of wisdom to the teenagers, "Just a warning . . . Pegasus is a bit . . . eccentric."

Now Yuugi, Kaiba, Ryou, and Jonouchi had all met the man at last year's Duel Monsters World Championship and knew what the elder was talking about but as for the others . . .

Hanasaki tilted his head in confusion, "How so, Sugoroku-jiisan?"

The elderly man began chuckling, "Oh, you'll see."

The man in question was standing just outside the main tent, eagerly awaiting his special guests. When the bedraggled teens reached the tent he greeted them in his typical fashion. "Welcome everyone!" he exclaimed, sweeping his arms about grandly. "I am Pegasus J. Crawford, creator of Duel Monsters and sponsor for this dig. You are about to participate in what could be the greatest archaeological find of the century! The discovery of the lost dynasty of Egypt, without a doubt this will be something for the history books!"

Honda's jaw dropped as he stared at the older man in mute shock, THIS was eccentric?!

A delicate, feminine giggle broke the stunned silence that had settled over the group. "Don't mind my husband, he's just very excited about this project," a beautiful blond woman explained, her blue eyes shining with mirth. "It's a pleasure to meet everyone, I'm Pegasus' wife, Cynthia Crawford," she greeted them cheerfully, barely able to contain her own delight. Her husband's joy was contagious, spilling over their bond in waves and adding to her own. She'd never been amongst so many "lights" like herself before and the sensation alone was almost making her giddy.

"Now I know all of you are exhausted from your trip so I'm going to hand you over to Malik Ishtar," she continued, gesturing to the slender teen standing next to her. The boy looked to be the same age as the other teens with below the shoulder, corn silk blond hair that fell in similar jagged chunks to Ryou's, but instead of the the same jagged bangs, his feathered softly. "Malik will be showing you where your tents are and also help you get settled in."

"Yo," the lavender-eyed Egyptian greeted with a short wave. "You guys can come with me and I'll show you where to drop your stuff."

Shouldering his rucksack, Yuugi headed after the other teen, his friends following close behind. Quickly catching up, Yuugi introduced himself and the others, pleased at having the opportunity to make a new friend. "So what brings you out here, Malik-kun?"

"I didn't get much of a choice," he told them, much to their confusion. "My older brother Rishid is in charge of the dig," the blond Egyptian sighed. "So I ended up stuck in the same boat as you guys," Malik grinned wryly at the other teens as he continued, "free slave-labor."

-

November 11, 2008  
-edited April 21, 2009

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

1- Also not an OC. He appears early on in the manga and also in Season 0.

2 - traditional Egyptian breakfast comprised mainly of Fava beans, served with pita bread and occasionally egg.

3 - Mit Rahina, a small village located to the south of Cairo, this is where most of the scant remains of Memphis can be seen. Memphis itself was once the capital of Egypt and was believed to have been a massive city that thrived and survived for three thousand years.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Retrieving Destiny  
Part: 4/23  
Author: Murasaki Rose  
Beta: none  
Genre: Romance/Fantasy/AU  
Rating: R  
Spoilers: Yami Yuugi's real name  
Warnings: Yaoi (male x male), implied Mpreg  
Pairings: YYxY, SxJxS, DxT, YBxR, YMxM, HxO, PxC, IxM  
Minor Pairings: BMGxA, BMxK, TxCxH  
Disclaimer: Here we go. Yu-Gi-Oh and all its characters are the property of Kazuki Takahashi, Shueisha, Konami, Toei, and unfortunately, 4 Kids Entertainment. In other words, I don't own them and I'm not making any money off of this, I'm just a fangirl having some fun.  
A/N: "text" = speech, 'text' = thought, ((text)) = telepathy

Summary: While assisting his grandfather on an excavation in Egypt for their senior class trip, Yuugi and his friends unleash seven powerful beings from their millennia-long imprisonment. These strange creatures, who call themselves "darkness", will bring about a series of life-changing events for the close-knit group of teenagers.

2,866 words | 2nd draft - 3,628 words

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

A few days into their stay, after the teens had settled into a routine, Pegasus approached Yuugi with a unique project . . .

"Ah, there you are Yuugi-boy!"

Hiding a wince Yuugi sat the piece of pottery he was cleaning down and turned to smile at the older man while thinking plaintively, 'Why does he always call me that?!'

"I already know you're a master at Duel Monsters but your grandfather tells me that you love games and puzzles of all kinds."

Yuugi nodded, wondering what his hobbies had to do with anything and what it was the man was holding behind his back.

Pegasus beamed, "Wonderful! There's something I'd like you to work on for me.

I'd like you to see if you can solve this," he said, bringing a golden box carved with hieroglyphs and the eye of Ra on the front, from behind him. "It's an ancient puzzle that no one has ever solved before. We don't even know what the final shape will be!"

This had Yuugi's attention. "You want me to solve it?!" he asked excitedly.

The silver-haired man nodded, "I have a feeling you're perfect for the job," he told the small teen, handing the box over to him. "Good luck, Yuugi-boy!" he called over his shoulder as he walked away.

"Thank you!" Yuugi caroled, hugging the box to his chest.

'No, thank you Yuugi,' the man thought. 'Without you, the seal will never be broken.'

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Warm.

The first sensation to reach the being since it's imprisonment was wonderful, familiar, and warm. Bound tightly by magic, the entity who had slumbered for an unknown length of time, blinked sightless eyes as it awoke. Slowly, the faint sounds of metal clinking against metal trickled through the seal, piercing the deafening silence that engulfed the bound entity.

Accompanying the return of the senses was something infinitely more important, the sense of self. Pharaoh Atem laughed soundlessly within his prison. He knew that warmth. How the little one had managed to defeat the sorcerer and regain his prison he did not know. But that mattered little to the young ruler. Soon he would be reunited with his precious Heba and together, they would free the others and destroy the traitor and all his followers.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"You know, it never ceases to amaze me how many pots and vases manage to survive so long."

"Is that sarcasm or an honest statement?" Malik asked, grinning conspiratorially at the silver-haired boy next to him.

"A little of both actually," Ryou admitted with a smile before returning his attention to the pot he was carefully cleaning.

Yuugi and Hanasaki shared a grin, before returning to their own pottery. Once again the four of them had been assigned to clean the caked on dirt from the less delicate artifacts.

"Hey Yuugi!" the small tri-colored teen looked up to see Jonouchi walking their way carrying a rather large box on a dolly. "The professors want ya to clean this thing," he said placing it next to the boy's workspace.

"What is it?"

"Probably a really big pot," Malik grumbled.

Ignoring the pale blond's comment Jonouchi shrugged, "I dunno what it is. All I know is that the archaeologists got all excited when they found it. Pegasus said I should take it ta you to get cleaned." He told them before heading back to the dig area.

Yuugi blinked in surprise, Pegasus wanted HIM to clean it? What was with that guy?! "I guess we should open it up then." Together the four teens managed to heft the unknown object out of the box and onto the table. Seeing it didn't clear much up though.

"Its another box," Hanasaki stated in disbelief.

Malik was indignant, "They got excited over this?!"

"Maybe they've been in the sun too long?" Ryou ventured.

Yuugi wasn't paying much attention to them though; instead he was running his hands gently over the dirt-encrusted form. "It's not a box," he stated suddenly.

"Then what is it?" Ryou asked, noticing the odd, unfocused look on Yuugi's face. The teen shook his head, amethyst eyes blinking a few times before clearing.

"It's a cradle," he said with no uncertainty in his voice. "Take a good look at the shape and you'll see it."

The other three did as he said and were astonished, Yuugi was right!

"How do you know it's a cradle, Yuugi-kun?" Hanaski asked his friend. "There are other things this shape could be."

"I . . . I'm not sure," he said finally, a pensive look on his face. "But I'm positive that this is a cradle."

After fully cleaning what Malik had dubbed, the "mystery box", it was indeed shown to be an ornate cradle, one that had probably belonged to an Egyptian noble. Fortunately for Yuugi's sanity, there were no further odd incidents after that, at least for him.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Perched high on an outcropping of rock several yards out from the encampment, Ryou watched the sun sink below the horizon enjoying the beauty and tranquility of the scene. He'd had the urge to come out here ever since he'd spotted the formation on their first day. At first he'd just ignored that urge, but soon it became too insistent and the silver-haired teen found himself asking for permission to do just this. Sitting alone on the warm rock, with a coat and flashlight nearby, made the teen feel surprisingly relaxed and gave him the strongest sense of deja vu. So strong in fact, that he kept expecting someone to come up and wrap a protective arm around his shoulders as they sat down beside him.

"Let's go back now, _antyw akhu_ (1)."

Ryou gasped sharply, eyes frantically searching the area all around him in the dying light. "Who's there?" When no one answered, he grabbed his coat and flashlight, then slid down off the rock to search around and beneath the outcropping. He found nothing. Not even a trace of footprints.

'How odd,' he thought, making his way back to camp. 'I'm sure I heard a voice up there . . .'

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Watch out!"

The warning cry followed by the loud braying of a camel brought everyone's attention to the edge of the dig site. Off to the side where they were loading camels with debris to clear away, one of the animals was going wild. Twisting and thrashing violently, the creature spat and brayed in protest, kicking out at anyone who dared get too close.

Without giving it any thought, Honda dropped what he was doing and ran over to help the struggling men.

"Honda, what the hell?!" Jonouchi shouted after his friend. "What does he think he's doing?"

Seto narrowed his eyes in thought, a strange notion coming to mind, "Perhaps he knows something we do not."

As the brunet teen approached the panicking animal, some of the workers attempted to stop him only to find themselves blocked by Pegasus. "Let the boy go," he told them, staring intently after the teen, every fiber in his being telling him to wait and see.

Under the astonished watch of the entire camp, Honda managed to safely dodge the camel's "attacks" and get himself close enough to touch it. Moments later, he had the animal calmed down and sitting patiently in wait. He smiled fondly at the camel, scratching behind its ears and down its neck to the beast's delight.

"How did you do that kid?" one of the men asked, breaking the serene plateau.

"I . . I'm not really sure," Honda looked confused as he attempted to explain, "Somehow, I just knew what to do."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Later that night, the students had joined the workers gathering around the fires to relax after their hard day's work. With his usual opponent otherwise occupied, Seto had challenged Ryou to a game of chess, with Malik and Hanasaki volunteering to act as both audience and referees. Yuugi had settled himself nearby their game while continuing to work on the puzzle Pegasus had given him. He'd been working on it for several days now and piece-wise he was about half way through. But Yuugi knew from experience that that was no indication of how much time it would take to complete. Each piece fit together in such an unusual way and specific order that even the slightest error could result in hours of wasted time. What the amethyst-eyed teen did know from all his work so far was that the puzzle would be an inverted pyramid, meant to be hung or perhaps worn as a pendant.

Heading to watch the chess game Anzu paused when she noticed Jonouchi sitting off on his own, a distant expression on his face.

"Are you all right, Jonouchi-kun?" she asked as she sat down beside the blond.

Jou blinked, startled by her presence but not bothered, "Yeah, it's just this weirdness I've been dealing with lately," he replied, starting to laugh it off until he caught her knowing gaze. "I've been having really weird dreams for weeks now," he admitted finally. "Seto knows about them," he quickly reassured her. "They always take place in Egypt, so I thought maybe here I'd find out why."

Light blue eyes closed in thought before the brunette responded, "You too huh?"

"What?" the blond stared at her like she'd just grown a second head.

"I've been dreaming about Egypt too," she sighed. "I've seen you, Honda, Mai, Hanasaki and myself with wings. I've seen what looks like Ryou and Seto as children and even a baby that looks like Yuugi!" She noticed Jou's wide-eyed stare and decided to drop the final bomb, "the weirdest thing is that I've even seen a child version of Malik in my dreams, before we even learned about the trip!"

"God, Anzu," Jonouchi breathed, "What the hell is going on here?"

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The next morning, Pegasus approached Yuugi and his friends with a special research assignment: he wanted them to look into an odd set of artifacts and see if they could find any references to them. The eight friends would be joined by Mai Kujaku as well, much to Seto's ire.

Leading the group to one of the few hard-walled structures in the camp, he began to explain, "The items I am giving you are connected to or a part of the same set that Yuugi-boy's puzzle is from. I'd like you to research and see if you can find any more information on them," he told them. Opening the door he gestured for the teens to enter ahead of him, "and to assist you in your hunt you have been granted full access to all our available research material."

Following them inside he went to stand by a large box sitting off to the side, "Yuugi of course will be researching his puzzle, but I have something interesting for each of you to research."

"Not to sound rude or anything, but shouldn't this be done by my classmates instead?" Mai asked, confused as to why a bunch of high schoolers were being allowed to work on such an important project.

Pegasus waved off her concerns with a bright smile, "Nonsense dear girl, the nine of you are absolutely the right people for this job."

Moving on, he reached into the box and drew out a baseball-sized circular pendant, "I'll start with yours, young Hanasaki. Unlike the other items, your item is Greek in origin. For reasons we have not yet discovered, it was found hidden with these same items, leading us to believe it holds a connection to them," the brown-eyed man told the teen, handing him the pendant. The pendant was beautiful with an intricate geometric pattern carved on a turquoise stone that was set in gold, with the symbols of the zodiac carved around the setting (2).

Through his own research he had learned which darkness was supposedly contained within each item, but only by having the correct light hold it would confirm his information. So Pegasus watched with great enthusiasm as the pale orange-haired teen gently traced the center symbol, his gray eyes conveying an unconscious longing and recognition.

Feeling vindicated and excited, he next removed two golden items and handed them to Ryou and Malik: a ring with a triangle and an eye in the center with five cones hanging from the outside of the circlet and a set of scales bearing an udjat eye at the top. As he ran his fingers over the center eye, Ryou felt an anticipatory shiver race through him while Malik stared at the scales as if they held something he had been missing. Honda and Mai had similar reactions when they were handed their items: an ankh and necklace.

When he was handed his item Seto's eyes had widened almost imperceptibly the instant he touched the winged, golden scepter. A powerful rush of emotions had seemingly come directly from the item, filling the teen with a sense of joy and triumph that was not his own. He resisted the urge to throw the object across the room, instead stoically ignoring the odd event and focusing on Jou.

Knowing they were different from the others, Pegasus had saved Anzu and Jonouchi for last. Because their items possessed no magic, they had been found separate from the others and with more information than the others had. And it was this very information that led him to believe they might result in a more intense reaction from the two teens.

"Now from the carvings found with them we have learned that these last two items were wedding gifts given to two warriors of the court," the silver-haired man stated, pulling out a beautiful golden armband and a pair of ornately carved bracers. Noting their widening eyes, he very slowly moved to place them in the hands of the appropriate teen.

Holding the armband in her hands Anzu felt a nearly overwhelming sense of sadness and loss come over her as she gently turned the item around in her hand. 'Mana.'

Meanwhile Jonouchi had nearly gone into shock, he KNEW where those bracers came from. He'd seen them night after night in his dreams. 'What is happening to me?' he thought, swaying on his feet, only Seto's quick reflexes stopping him from falling to the ground. "What does this mean?" he whispered, staring up into Seto's bright blue eyes, his own conveying his panicked confusion.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Long after having gone to bed Seto lay awake, curled around his sleeping boyfriend. It had taken the auburn-haired teen hours to get his blond lover to tell him what about the bracers had upset him so much. When Katsuya had finally explained that the bracers were the same ones he wore in his dreams, Seto had at first tried to rationalize with him. Perhaps these bracers were the style worn by all warriors. Or perhaps they just looked similar to the ones in his dreams. The honey-brown eyed blond had simply fixed him with a disbelieving stare until the blue-eyed teen had been forced to admit defeat. Even he had to admit that his arguments were flimsy at best. Jonouchi had been having these dreams for weeks; of course he would be in tune with even the smallest of related details.

What really bothered him was that HE had recognized them. Vague memories of himself as a child tracing the hieroglyphs and decorative patterns with childish awe as an amused and strangely older Jou watched on, had flashed through his mind the moment he'd laid eyes on them. What was even more disturbing were the foreign emotions that had washed over him the instant he'd taken hold of the scepter-like object he'd been handed. He hadn't had the opportunity to worry about it earlier, his concern for Katsuya taking priority over anything else, but now . . . if he didn't know better; he'd swear they were being watched. Pressing a tender kiss to the top of Jou's head, Seto couldn't help but wonder if coming on this trip was a good idea after all.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Hanasaki was dreaming. He had to be, for the place he found himself simply didn't exist anywhere in the modern world. Judging by the ornate columns and beautiful marble statuary decorating the room, he guessed it was Grecian in origin. There was also a small balcony with a gorgeous view of the ocean, from which a gentle breeze blew making the transparent curtains flutter slightly. Hanasaki himself was seated at a desk with scrolls and parchments scattered about, all with the same strange text he'd seen on the back of the pendant, and a few bearing the symbol from the front like a seal. The small teen quickly realized he was a passenger for this dream when he tried to get up from the desk, only to find that his dream-self was working on something and had no intention of quitting.

Slender arms slipped under his own to wrap around his middle startling both him and his dream-self, as an unexpected person announced their presence. "Have you been working in here all day, beloved?" the man murmured, kissing his cheek gently.

If Hanasaki had been in charge of his body, he was sure he'd be blushing fiercely and squirming away. His dream-self however, relaxed into the man's embrace, stretching while still encircled in the other's arms. "I didn't realize it was so late," he replied, standing to give him a proper kiss. When his dream-self pulled back, Hanasaki was stunned by the vision before him. The man who had embraced his dream-self was beautiful; there really wasn't a better word to describe him. The man had long aqua hair tied off just below his waist and gold eyes that glittered warmly at him from beneath jagged aqua bangs.

"You loose track of time so easily," the man teased scooping him up into a bridal hold, eliciting a squeal of surprise from his dream-self and making Hanasaki wonder just what he was in for.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Mai couldn't sleep. Sitting on her bed, she found herself tracing the eye on the necklace she'd been given to research. The item gave her the creeps and something about this whole situation struck her as odd. Why were a bunch of teenagers being trusted to research such rare artifacts? As a matter of fact, why was she even being allowed to do it? She wasn't a grad student and knew it would be at least two more years before she was qualified to begin this kind of research. Even stranger than the teens being allowed to handle priceless artifacts were the teens themselves. They all knew things that they shouldn't or couldn't possibly know and every single one of them had reacted oddly to the artifact they were handed. Something wasn't adding up.

Despite her misgivings, she still found herself drawn to the creepy necklace. When she'd touched it she had felt shock and joy, emotions that were not her own and had seemed to have come from the necklace itself. Still the orchid-eyed blonde couldn't bring herself to get rid of the item that had been placed in her care.

'We are so screwed.'

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Bored out of his mind, Malik had picked up a handful of rocks and started balancing them on the scales he'd been handed earlier. This had kept him entertained for all of five minutes before his brother noticed and made him stop.

"Malik, don't play with the artifact. It's disrespectful."

Making a series of faces at his older brother's back, the Egyptian teen removed the rocks and dusted the plates off, stoically ignoring the amusement that seemed to roll off the golden artifact. Unlike the others he wasn't as unnerved by his item and the strange emotions that seemed to be emanating from it. Sure he'd felt them the instant he'd touched the odd scales, but he hadn't let it bother him. Instead he chalked it up as weird but harmless and continued on. Still . . . all his life he'd felt like something was missing and now . . . something told him he was close to finding out what that was.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Long after midnight Yuugi was still working tirelessly on the puzzle. Having come so close to the end he felt compelled to finish and after a few tricky spots, the pieces seemed to flow together so easily! So deep in his concentration, he gasped involuntarily as he stared at the golden pyramid; he was down to the final piece! Reaching for the large piece with the eye of Ra, he felt an overwhelming sense of anticipation wash over him, adding to his own excitement. If he hadn't of known better, he'd have sworn that the puzzle was excited too! Taking a deep breath he pushed the last piece into position, sighing in relief as it locked in place with a firm click.

Grinning broadly, he leaned back in his chair and admired his handiwork, tilting the three-dimensional pyramid about in the lamplight. He couldn't wait to show his friends! Suddenly, a gust of wind rushed through his tent, dying down before the teen even had a chance to stand up.

"Heba."

Startled by the unexpected voice, Yuugi yelped and nearly fell over. Righting his chair he turned around and came face to face with . . . an Egyptian pharaoh?!

'That has got to be a costume,' he thought in disbelief before his inner voice piped up, 'Then how come you've never seen him in camp before?' There was no way he'd have missed anyone with hair so much like his own, especially someone this gorgeous!

Atem stepped forward and smiled warmly at his full-grown light, "It has been far too long since I've last held you _antyw akhu_."

-

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

1 - my light (ancient Egyptian)

2 - This is the same pendant that Dartz wears in the anime and the same symbol used for the Oricalos seal. I did a bit of checking and noticed that Dartz is also wearing this pendant before the Oricalos came so I'm assuming it was originally the symbol/crest of the Atlantean royal house.


	5. Chapter 5

So now we have reached the first of the edited chapters! If you're 18 or older and want to read the lemony, unedited version of this chapter, you'll have to check my account at Mediaminer, Adultfanfiction, or join Little Dragon. (All links can be found in my profile.)

Now, there were a couple things brought up in the reviews that I'd like to address here:

First off, the Egyptian words: Any and all non-English words that appear in this story will have a translation at the end of the chapter. Basically, the first time I use a particular word or phrase, there will be a number corresponding to a footnote at the bottom of the page with the English translation. However, this will only be in the first chapter the word is used in.

Second, Duel Monsters: Yes, the gang does play. It's briefly mentioned in chapter 2 that Pegasus met Yuugi and Seto at the World Championships and the game will be alluded to here and there later on. It doesn't play a major role in this story, but in the sequel (grins) the game will play a bigger role.

Finally, Jou and Anzu's dreams: Originally, I only had Jonouchi dreaming of the past but as the story fleshed out, I felt that it would be better for Anzu to share in that. It kinda has to do with _what_ they are . . .

* * *

Title: Retrieving Destiny  
Part: 5/23  
Author: Murasaki Rose  
Beta: none  
Genre: Romance/Fantasy/AU  
Rating: R  
Spoilers: Yami Yuugi's real name  
Warnings: Yaoi (male x male), implied Mpreg  
Pairings: YYxY, SxJxS, DxT, YBxR, YMxM, HxO, PxC, IxM  
Minor Pairings: BMGxA, BMxK, TxCxH  
Disclaimer: Here we go. Yu-Gi-Oh and all its characters are the property of Kazuki Takahashi, Shueisha, Konami, Toei, and unfortunately, 4 Kids Entertainment. In other words, I don't own them and I'm not making any money off of this, I'm just a fangirl having some fun.  
A/N: "text" = speech, 'text' = thought, ((text)) = telepathy

Summary: While assisting his grandfather on an excavation in Egypt for their senior class trip, Yuugi and his friends unleash seven powerful beings from their millennia-long imprisonment. These strange creatures, who call themselves "darkness", will bring about a series of life-changing events for the close-knit group of teenagers.

2,778 words | 2nd draft - 2,924 words

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Pegasus looked up from his paperwork as he felt an immense wave of raw power rush through him, "I knew you could do it, Yuugi-boy."

"Should we go greet him then?" Cynthia asked, setting her book down. "The Pharaoh will need much explained to him and I know from experience how confused poor Yuugi is going to be."

"Right as always, my lady," the silver-haired man agreed amicably with his wife. "Let us go meet our Pharaoh and his new Queen."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"You've become a very handsome man, _mry_ (1)," the pharaoh told Yuugi, stepping towards him while taking in all the changes to his light's appearance. Casually perusing the teen's lithe form he estimated that he had been sealed at least 15 summers or so, time enough for his infant light to grow into manhood. "Your clothing is rather odd, but it suits you well," he purred, his desire to be close to his light now coupled with a newly awakened sexual desire for the teen.

"Wh-wh-who are y-you?" Yuugi stammered backing away, amethyst eyes wide with fright. "And wh-where d-d-did you c-come from?"

Concerned at the fear he felt rolling off his light, Atem stopped his advance. "I am your _kkwy, Per-aA Atem_ (2). Surely you knew that you were releasing me from my prison?" he answered Yuugi, baffled by the teen's apparent lack of knowledge.

"I-I don't know who you are or what you're talking about!" Yuugi insisted, all the while slowly making his way towards the center of the tent.

"There is no need to fear me, _nfr mry akhu_ (3)," the crimson-eyed man attempted to reassure the teen, extending a gentle hand towards him.

Panicking, Yuugi shouted in fright and knocked down the pole supporting the roof of his small tent. Using his small size to his advantage, the tri-color haired teen quickly wiggled his way out of the collapsing canvas and darted out into the camp.

Hurt and frustrated by his light's apparent rejection, Atem vaporized the canvas tent with a roar of fury. Who ever had tampered with his light's mind would pay! Snarling in rage he unfurled his golden wings, preparing to take off in search of his frightened light, when he was stopped by a gentle voice.

"Pardon our intrusion, my Pharaoh."

Whirling around, he glared darkly at the silver-haired man and blonde-haired woman bowing respectfully. 'Another _kkwy _and _akhu_. They look foreign, perhaps they are visiting?' Noting that their clothing was just as odd as his light's the young noble decided he should hear what they had to say. It was possible that they knew what was responsible for his strange behavior.

"You may speak."

"My Pharaoh, the boy who set you free is not the same one you knew before your imprisonment-"

"You lie! There is no mistaking it, he is MY LIGHT!" the Pharaoh roared, furious anyone would dare say he could not recognize his own light.

Undeterred, Pegasus continued, knowing that Atem needed this information, "My lord, you have been sealed away for over three thousand years. That boy is your light reincarnated."

Atem stared at the man with wide eyes, "What?"

"My lord, I am sorry to say, but in the battle your court fought with the sorcerer, not a single light, dark, or even _ms-n hwi_ escaped. All were killed or sealed," the man sighed, "Nearly all traces of your rule were erased by the sorcerer and his followers. Had it not been for the intense loyalty of the palace staff he would have destroyed everything."

When I learned that I was different I began searching for answers. In my research of our kind in other countries, I found scraps of information regarding the dark and light souls of Khemet. Once here I learned of the legend of the Nameless Pharaoh, one who's court had been annihilated by a rogue sorcerer. It was this extreme xenophobic act that led to our kind going into hiding all over the world. Over time, I learned that the darks had been sealed not killed and took it upon myself to find the souls of their lights, believing that they may have been reincarnated to search for their missing halves."

Pegasus smiled, "I found all seven _akhu_ along with two _ms-n hwi_ and arranged to have them brought here. Then I gave the puzzle to Yuugi-boy, knowing that as your light, he would be able to solve it."

"Then Yuugi is Heba," Atem murmured, feeling a bit foolish for having acted so brash before.

"Yes, but he has no knowledge of you or even what HE is," Cynthia broke in softly. "He must be terribly confused and is probably a bit frightened too." She smiled gently at the young Pharaoh, "I know I was when I first met Pegasus. For a light to feel so strongly for someone they just met is quite unnerving."

"You seem to know him. How would you suggest I approach him?" he asked swallowing his pride. He may be Pharaoh, but for his light he would do anything.

"I suggest taking him to the oasis north of camp," the older man smirked, "It's far enough away he won't be able to leave without you and large enough for him to wear himself out running so you can talk with him."

Atem smirked in return, crimson eyes sparkling, "I believe I shall take your advice."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Hidden behind a stack of crates, Yuugi sat gasping for breath, his hands still clutching the completed puzzle. He'd run clear across camp without stopping, all the time fearing that the strange man would catch up and do "something" to him. 'I haven't run this much since my freshman year!' he thought in exasperation. Strange how years of running from bullies would actually come in useful.

"There you are _antyw akhu_," a familiar rich voice stated, sounding quite pleased with himself.

Freezing in shock, Yuugi slowly tilted his head back; his eyes going painfully wide at the sight of the grinning Pharaoh crouched on top of the crates, his dark gold wings flared out for balance. 'Waittaminute! WINGS!! When did he get those?!'

"Time to go _mry_," Atem said cheerfully.

"Go?! Go wher-aah!! Put me down!" Yuugi shrieked as the Pharaoh jumped down, scooped up the startled teen, and launched himself into the air heading north to the oasis Pegasus had suggested.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Even though he'd quieted for the duration of their flight, the minute his feet hit the ground, Yuugi had run for the nearest palm tree and ducked behind it. Atem had just chuckled and started walking over to the skittish teen, barely managing to stifle his laughter as the boy darted for the next tree when he got within an arms length away. This game continued on for some time, Atem approaching and Yuugi running, until the poor fatigued teen lost his footing and fell flat on his back.

Seizing the opportunity Atem pounced on his light, grinning triumphantly down at the weakly struggling teen pinned beneath him. "You really shouldn't wiggle so much, _mry_. Unless of course, you mean it," he purred, watching in delight as a deep red blush flooded the boy's face.

"Now," he said, settling himself comfortably across his light, "Introductions and explanations are in order."

I am _Per-aA Atem_ a _kkwy_, what you would call a "yami" in your native tongue. And for every yami born there is also an _akhu_, a "hikari" which is what you are. A yami and hikari are soul mates, one soul in two bodies, destined from before birth to unite as lovers. We are human, but at the same time we are not, as there are many things that we are capable of that a human is not."

"I-is that why you have wings?" Yuugi ventured timidly.

"Yes and no. All yami and hikari have wings, but we are not the only magical beings that possess them."

"Oh," Yuugi nodded in understanding, then blushed again, "Ano, I'm Yuugi Mutou," he said shyly.

The pharaoh smiled wryly at his shy light, "So I've been told."

Yuugi blinked in surprise as something occurred to him, "Hey, how are you speaking Japanese?"

Atem shrugged, "I do not know. The puzzle may have something to do with it."

The small teen nodded in agreement, "That makes sense . . . umm . . . earlier, before I ran off, why did you call me heba?"

A glimmer of sadness flickered in crimson eyes, "It was your name . . before . . ."

"Before?"

"Before a rogue sorcerer and his cult attacked the palace, sealing me and my fellow _kkwy_ and murdering our _akhu_," shifting his weight to one elbow, Atem lifted a tanned hand to cup a pale cheek. "You are Heba's soul reborn."

Unconsciously leaning into the hand, Yuugi gazed soulfully up at the Pharaoh, "How can you be so sure?"

Smiling softly, Atem brought their foreheads together, "For every _kkwy_, there is but one _akhu_. Even at birth, we can recognize each other. An innocent bond, closer than that of even family bonds, forms the moment contact is made." He paused to grin lecherously at the teen spread out beneath him, "But when both pass into adulthood, the bond turns from innocent to sexual."

Yuugi eeped at the unspoken implications, but locked within the other's crimson stare, found himself unable to move. Taking advantage of his frozen state, Atem slowly lowered himself to reach his light's lips, pleased that the smaller teen wasn't trying to escape anymore.

Staring into those beautiful amethyst orbs, Atem could see the nervousness and slight fear his light hidden in their depths. But he could also see the teen's desire for him to follow through. Eager to please, he pressed their lips together, suppressing a groan of delight as their souls sang at just this simple touch.

Overwhelmed, the modern teen moaned into the other's mouth, arching up against his darkness as the same emotions that had scared him before washed over him like a tidal wave. Every fiber in his being telling him that this gorgeous creature belonged to him and no other just as he belonged to Atem. Hesitantly, he raised his one free arm up to tangle his fingers in the thick hair at the base of Atem's neck. Tilting his head to one side, he shocked himself when he daringly let his tongue dart out to lick across the yami's lips.

Atem happily took advantage of his hikari's open mouth, following the boy's retreating tongue with his own. Shyly, Yuugi backed down, granting the Pharaoh free reign to his oral cavity that the young monarch eagerly accepted. Starting with the teen's plush lips, Atem leisurely explored his mouth, his tongue lapping and stroking every surface within. As he passed over Yuugi's tongue with his own, he felt the boy shiver in response, though he made no move to join in. Completing his "study" he returned his attention to Yuugi's tongue, going so far as to curl his own underneath and around the other's in an effort to coax the other into participating. It worked.

Preceded by a quiet moan, Yuugi's tongue came alive, curling and twining around Atem's in a battle neither seemed eager to win or lose. Little by little, he moved their battle into his own mouth, granting Yuugi the same access that he had been given. Surprisingly eager, the light mapped out the dark's orifice in the same manner the darkness had, but with far more teasing strokes to the other's tongue. Their oral battle finally ending when Atem felt the sand they were lying on begin to abrade his skin, intruding upon the sensual mood between them. Reluctantly he pulled away from his light, smiling as the teen eagerly followed his retreat, holding tightly onto him with his free arm.

Yuugi pouted when Atem moved out of range making the Pharaoh laugh at the adorable expression. "Come now _ari_ (4), I'm sure you'd like to continue this on something a bit more comfortable," he chuckled wryly. "I've been told it's quite uncomfortable to indulge in such activities on the sand." Standing he pulled his light into his arms, pressing a quick kiss to willing lips. "Now, watch and learn my love," he said, a ball of shadows forming in his hand. "In time, you will be able to do the same with your own magic," he told the Japanese teen, tossing the ball out under a gathering of palm trees where the sphere exploded, leaving a large tent in it's place.

Leading the smaller teen inside, he enjoyed his soul mate's gasp of surprise as he took in the lavish interior of the tent. Ornate rugs and tapestries decorated the floor and walls, while a myriad of plush pillows littered the floor, more than enough to make a very comfortable bed for two.

Laughing delightedly Yuugi took a flying leap into the largest pile of pillows, landing with a satisfied thump. The small teen then began rooting around the pile, twisting and wiggling until he was comfortable, then facing Atem he beckoned the other to join him with an inviting pat on the fat pillow closest to him.

Giving his light a sexy grin, the dark began removing his garments, starting with his jewelry. Burning crimson eyes remained locked on the amethyst-eyed boy, enjoying how he was already making him squirm with the barest effort. Winking mischievously, he pulled his tunic loose from his belt, slowly lifting the garment up and over his head then tossing it off to one side. Seeing amethyst eyes devouring his bare chest, he made a show of turning his back to the other teen while he removed his belt. Tossing it in the same direction his tunic had gone, the Pharaoh turned back to his light, hands holding onto the opening of his shenti as he walked towards the prone teen, his hips swaying sexily.

Yuugi stifled a moan as Atem stopped directly in front of him, unwrapping his shenti just enough to allow the light a glimpse of tanned thigh.

"Are you ready for me?" he purred, chuckling at the eager nod he received. Smirking he tossed his last piece of clothing away exposing himself completely to his precious light, "Then I am all yours."

-

November 14, 2008  
-edited April 29, 2009

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

1- beloved (ancient Egyptian)

2 - darkness, Pharaoh Atem (ancient Egyptian)

3 - beautiful beloved light (ancient Egyptian)

4 - partner (ancient Egyptian)


	6. Chapter 6

Wow. I'm positively blown away by how well this story is doing! I'm thrilled that so many of you like it, including some authors whose stories I've read and enjoyed! . . . and not reviewed (grins sheepishly). And I've just now noticed that I can reply directly to reviews. (smacks forehead)

Anyway, for those of you reading ahead on Little Dragon, I'm going to try and get chapters 11 & 12 up this week. I've got a slight backlog of stories I have to read and comment on for the contest first.

And just like the previous chapter, if you're 18 or older and want to read the lemony, unedited version of **this** chapter, you'll have to check my account at Mediaminer, Adultfanfiction, or join Little Dragon. (All links can be found in my profile.)

* * *

Title: Retrieving Destiny  
Part: 6/23  
Author: Murasaki Rose  
Beta: none  
Genre: Romance/Fantasy/AU  
Rating: R  
Spoilers: Yami Yuugi's real name  
Warnings: Yaoi (male x male), implied Mpreg  
Pairings: YYxY, SxJxS, DxT, YBxR, YMxM, HxO, PxC, IxM  
Minor Pairings: BMGxA, BMxK, TxCxH  
Disclaimer: Here we go. Yu-Gi-Oh and all its characters are the property of Kazuki Takahashi, Shueisha, Konami, Toei, and unfortunately, 4 Kids Entertainment. In other words, I don't own them and I'm not making any money off of this, I'm just a fangirl having some fun.  
A/N: "text" = speech, 'text' = thought, ((text)) = telepathy

Summary: While assisting his grandfather on an excavation in Egypt for their senior class trip, Yuugi and his friends unleash seven powerful beings from their millennia-long imprisonment. These strange creatures, who call themselves "darkness", will bring about a series of life-changing events for the close-knit group of teenagers.

2,454 words | 2nd draft - 2,649 words

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Yawning cutely Yuugi hummed contentedly as he woke, stretching his neck muscles by tilting his head from side to side as he slowly sat up. He hadn't raised himself very far when he was suddenly made VERY aware that Atem was still embedded within his body. Vainly trying to fight down the blush that covered his face, the teen carefully lifted himself until the other's member slipped from his body. A quick glance over his shoulder at the tent's entrance showed him that it was still dark outside, so he couldn't have been asleep for long. Returning his attention to the sleeping darkness below him, Yuugi moaned softly as he felt a powerful wave of lust sweep through his body. Kami but the man was gorgeous! Moving to crouch on hands and knees over the pharaoh, Yuugi shifted his weight to one arm so he could use the other to explore.

Starting at the top, he leisurely examined the other's amazingly similar hair. Running his fingers through the strands, he was pleasantly surprised to learn that the spiky locks were just as soft as his own. He loved the three extra lightening bolt-like gold bangs that rose up from the crown of spiky gold bangs up into the crimson-edged black spikes. Moving on he lightly trailed a finger across tanned skin, admiring the sharp features his darkness possessed. He couldn't help but be amused by the discovery that Atem's eyelashes were even thicker and longer than his own. It was while Yuugi's fingers were trailing down Atem's sharp jaw line that his deep crimson eyes snapped open, startling the Japanese teen.

"Enjoying yourself _ari_?" the Egyptian teen asked, stifling a chuckle at Yuugi's wide-eyed expression.

Suspicion reared its ugly head as he looked down at his amused lover, "How long have you been awake?"

"Since you started moving," the pharaoh answered, knowing his lover would be miffed with his reply.

And he was. Scowling down at Atem, Yuugi pondered an appropriate form of revenge. Absently he noted the other's wings were gone, but pushed that thought aside for later. Suddenly inspiration struck and he grinned deviously at the other male. "Atem-koi," he cooed sweetly setting off danger alarms in the pharaoh's head. "You wouldn't happen to be ticklish, would you?"

"No," he replied far too abruptly, hoping that Yuugi wouldn't catch on.

"Hmm, are you . . . sure?!" Yuugi asked, attacking on the last word sitting down on the taller teen's thighs, his hands darting to the other's flat belly. Atem managed to sit still for all of five seconds before he erupted into a wild bout of deep laughter. His body suddenly coming alive, writhing and squirming in an attempt to escape as his hands reached up to attempt retaliation. The second his hands made contact with the hikari's stomach, Yuugi ceased his attack and darted forward, small hands gripping tanned shoulders as their lips connected.

Immediately Atem forgot all about tickling, instead focusing on the smooth skin beneath his hands, caressing down the pale teen's back to cup the firm, rounded buttocks. Yuugi purred into his mouth, arching to rub his returning erection against Atem's. The darkness pulled his mouth away to gasp, his head falling back submissively as his mate began grinding against him. "By the gods!" he whispered fiercely as Yuugi found an interesting spot on Atem's neck to suckle. The light let out a small dominant growl, nipping, then licking the same spot to soothe the abused patch of skin.

Pulling back to admire his mark, he was surprised when Atem placed the jar of oil from before into his hand. "Claim me _ari_. Take me as your own and complete our bond!" he pleaded, pressing needy kisses to the underside of Yuugi's jaw.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

With the sun beginning to rise over the horizon, bright rays of light washed over the small oasis, casting the entire area in a warm glow. Inside the large tent just on the edge of the oasis, the interior became lit by a muted glow that awoke one of the tent's two occupants.

Angular crimson eyes slid open tiredly, the owner still drowsy from the night's events. The sensation of soft puffs of air against his chest brought his gaze down to his beautiful slumbering mate. He smiled while running his fingers through the pale teen's soft black, magenta-tipped locks, chuckling softly when his new light gold wings twitched in response.

Thick black lashes fluttered as rounded amethyst eyes blinked open sleepily. As the fuzz cleared from the edges of his mind, Yuugi discovered that he felt immensely content. "Ohayoo (1) Atem-koi," he greeted his already awake mate.

"And good morning to you, _ari_."

Yuugi snuggled against the other's chest with a contented humm, closing his eyes once more. He knew they'd have to get up sooner or later. Later sounded really good right now. Wiggling his shoulders to get comfortable, he suddenly became aware of an odd weight on his back. He wiggled again to dislodge it, but oddly enough it felt like it was attached?

"Atem, is there something on my back?"

The pharaoh gave his mate a secretive smile, "See for yourself," he invited.

Twisting his head around, Yuugi was met by the startling sight of light golden feathers, "Wh-what are these?!" he stammered, staring over his shoulder at his new feathered appendages.

"I would think that would be obvious _ari_," Atem answered cheekily, enjoying the opportunity to tease his light.

Yuugi glared at his darkness, panic forgotten. "Smart ass. You know what I mean!"

Atem chuckled, "Those are your wings, _mry_. They began to form when I claimed you last night and finished forming when you claimed me." The consternated expression on his light's face made him wonder, "I thought you knew you were supposed to have wings. I'm sure I mentioned that _kkwy_ and _akhu_ all have them."

Yuugi shook his head slightly in disbelief, "You did. I just thought that since I didn't have them already, I'd never get any."

The crimson-eyed teen suddenly looked abashed, "I'm sorry _ari_, I keep forgetting you know nothing of our kind. _Kkwy_ get their wings during the phase you call "puberty" but _akhu_ never get their wings until after they bond with their _kkwy_."

Mollified by the explanation Yuugi replied, "Oh. Okay. You promise you'll tell me everything else right?"

"Of course _ari_, there's much we have to do and as soul mates, the more in tune we are the better."

Propping himself up on his elbows, Yuugi grinned eagerly at his darkness, "So does that mean you'll teach me how to fly?"

"Of course _antyw akhu_," he smirked knowingly at the smaller teen, "but first I'll have to teach you how to stand."

"Huh?"

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Several faceplants, a few bent feathers, a bruised posterior, and one dented ego later, Yuugi was standing outside with his new appendages stretched to their fullest length.

The feathers were a light shade of gold with the bottom edge of each wing lined with downy white feathers, almost the exact opposite of Atem's dark gold wings with their own bottom edge lined in black. Like Atem's, Yuugi's wings stretched from tip to tip to form an impressive eleven foot wingspan. They were lighter than Yuugi would have thought they would be and he had a hard time believing he'd be able to fly so soon. After all, he'd never used the muscles they were connected to for something as strenuous as flight. When he'd voiced his concerns, Atem had been quick to assure him that because the wings were magical in nature, they took most of the weight and strain away from them that their bodies would otherwise be forced to endure.

"Now _ari_. Keep them stretched out and raise them as high as you can," Atem instructed, demonstrating with his own. Yuugi did so, trying not to pout when Atem made him hold the position before having him lower them all the way down. They had been doing exercises like this for a couple hours now and the Japanese teen was starving.

"Ateeeemmm~" the boy whined, patience finally running out. "Can we pleeeaaase go get some breakfast?" he begged, giving his darkness watery puppy eyes as his stomach growled.

The young ruler appeared to be giving it some thought, "All right _ari_. We can go . . ."

"Yatta!" Yuugi pumped a fist into the air.

"As soon as you can get yourself off the ground."

"Aww man!"

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

About half an hour later, two pairs of flapping golden wings were gleaming brightly in the mid-morning sun as their owners made their way back to the encampment. Every so often, Atem would have to stop and catch Yuugi's hand, pulling him back whenever an errant wind pushed him in an odd direction. Sensing his mate's frustration, the other teen was quick to reassure him that he too had struggled with the wind currents in the beginning. When they came in sight of their destination, the two teens landed behind the same outcropping of rock that Ryou had perched on a couple nights prior. Well Atem landed, Yuugi ended up dropping himself on his already bruised posterior. Trying vainly not to laugh, Atem wordlessly retracted his wings, then placed a hand on Yuugi's back to do the same for his light.

"Shall we go eat?" he asked, extending a hand to help Yuugi to his feet.

Accepting the hand, Yuugi allowed Atem to pull him up, eyeing the other critically as he did. "I think you should change your clothing first."

"Why? Do my garments displease you?" he teased the pale teen, trailing a hand down his linen-clad chest.

Yuugi leered at his mate, "Hardly. But you'll cause a riot if you go into a camp filled with archaeologists dressed like that and then we'll never get breakfast."

The pharaoh sighed mock-resignedly, "For you then."

Yuugi watched raptly as shadows swirled around the other teen, obscuring him from sight for a moment then dissipating entirely, leaving the darkness dressed in an outfit nearly identical to Yuugi's. Smirking, Atem strode to his mate's side, swaying his hips with each step. He knew he'd done a good job with his clothing judging by Yuugi's dazed expression and the stirrings of lust he was receiving across their link.

Snaking an arm around his waist, Atem purred at the hikari, "Does this meet with your approval _ari_?"

Nodding and shaking the haze of lust from his brain Yuugi gave his pharaoh an admiring grin, "You have GOT to teach me how to do that."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Back at the camp, Yuugi's friends were freaking out. They had awoken this morning to find that his tent was empty and that no one in camp had seen any sign of their friend all morning. The worried teens had gone immediately to question Pegasus who had been expecting their arrival and was now attempting to calm them.

"It's nothing to worry about. Yuugi-boy is helping out a new student who arrived late last night. They must have gotten up before all of you," the silver haired man attempted to placate them.

Jonouchi was just about to tell the man where he could stick his excuses when a welcome voice broke through the din.

"Ohayoo minna (2)!" Yuugi chirped, silently warning Atem NOT to react to any of his friends. Now that he knew they were all reincarnations of people the pharaoh had known, he didn't want to freak them out before it was necessary.

"YUUGI!!" The whole group rushed up to the pair, throwing questions at the Japanese teen at an alarming rate. Still, he finally managed to calm them all down, giving them a highly edited and partially fabricated version of what he had been doing. It was during Yuugi's cross-examination that Malik noticed the other Egyptian teen waiting quietly behind Yuugi.

"So is this the new guy?" he asked, catching everyone's attention.

Yuugi grinned, "Uhn! Guys, this is Atem Meti (3). Atem-kun, these are my friends."

"It is a pleasure to meet you all," he said bowing politely, all signs of his shock hidden beneath his "royal" mask. Inwardly though, he was marveling over the sight before him. All of the lights and two _ms-n hwi_, truly this was a wondrous day! Noticing the almost panicked recognition in Jonouchi and Anzu's eyes made the pharaoh decide it was time to retreat. It wouldn't do to cause the two teens unnecessary stress without their significant others there to calm them. Besides, his _ari_ needed feeding.

Excusing them both, Atem took Yuugi's hand and began leading them in the direction of breakfast, both teens ignoring the surprised outbursts from Yuugi's friends.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Over breakfast the two teens discussed their plans for the other hikari and yami over their mindlink.

((So who should we release first?)) Yuugi asked, dipping some pita bread into his bowl.

Atem thought about it for a moment before answering, ((Dartz. He is nearly as powerful as I am and will need the most filling in.)) He sighed, ((I fear he will be heartbroken when he learns that his light no longer remembers him.)) Seeing Yuugi's confused look he explained further, ((Dartz and Tryphon had been bonded for several years before the attack, _ari_.))

Yuugi gasped in horror, ((How long were they together?))

Atem shook his head sadly, ((Close to three decades. They were very happy and very much in love. They even had a nine year-old daughter and were planning to expand their family.))

Tears welled in amethyst eyes at the thought of a such a loving family being torn apart. ((It's so sad, Atem.))

Reaching across the table to take Yuugi's hand, Atem squeezed it reassuringly. ((It'll be all right. Knowing Dartz, he'll recover quickly and have Tryphon in love with him all over again.)) He smirked roguishly, ((He never could keep his hands off the poor man for very long.))

Yuugi grinned mischievously, "We'd better let Pegasus know that Hanasaki-kun is gonna be unavailable all day then."

-

November 18, 2008  
- edited April 30, 2009

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

1 - morning

2 - everyone

3 - righteous (ancient Egyptian)


	7. Chapter 7

The lemon at the end of this chapter is much milder than previous ones, but I still removed it just in case so . . . just like in the previous chapters if you're 18 or older and want to read the unedited version of **this** chapter, you'll have to check my account at Mediaminer, Adultfanfiction, or join Little Dragon. (All links can be found in my profile.)

* * *

Title: Retrieving Destiny  
Part: 7/23  
Author: Murasaki Rose  
Beta: none  
Genre: Romance/Fantasy/AU  
Rating: R  
Spoilers: Yami Yuugi's real name  
Warnings: Yaoi (male x male), implied Mpreg  
Pairings: YYxY, SxJxS, DxT, YBxR, YMxM, HxO, PxC, IxM  
Minor Pairings: BMGxA, BMxK, TxCxH  
Disclaimer: Here we go. Yu-Gi-Oh and all its characters are the property of Kazuki Takahashi, Shueisha, Konami, Toei, and unfortunately, 4 Kids Entertainment. In other words, I don't own them and I'm not making any money off of this, I'm just a fangirl having some fun.  
A/N: "text" = speech, 'text' = thought, ((text)) = telepathy

Summary: While assisting his grandfather on an excavation in Egypt for their senior class trip, Yuugi and his friends unleash seven powerful beings from their millennia-long imprisonment. These strange creatures, who call themselves "darkness", will bring about a series of life-changing events for the close-knit group of teenagers.

2,821 words | 2nd draft - 3,203 words

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Seated cross-legged on a large pillow opposite his darkness, Yuugi wondered how exactly they were going to proceed, "So just how are we going to release Dartz from his item?" he asked curiously.

Looking thoughtful, Atem took hold of one of Yuugi's hands, "I'm not entirely sure _ari_. I've been feeling out the spell since this morning and all I know for sure is that it will take the combined strength of both our magics to break the spell that holds Dartz prisoner."

Yuugi raised an eyebrow as he looked at his mate in disbelief, "You're not sure?"

"Don't look so surprised," Atem snorted somewhat disdainfully, "I was Pharaoh, not a sorcerer or magician. My magical training was not nearly so extensive."

Realizing he'd unintentionally wounded his mate's pride, Yuugi leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to the crimson-eyed yami's lips, ((I'm sorry Atem. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings.))

The sweet sincerity of his hikari came through their link loud and clear, instantly lifting the pharaoh's mood, ((All is forgiven _mry_,)) he replied, returning the innocent kiss. Reluctantly breaking away, he leaned his forehead against the paler teen's and looked deep into his hikari's soulful amethyst eyes, "As much as I would like to continue-"

"-we need to work on freeing Dartz first, right?" Yuugi interrupted, finishing his yami's sentence.

The pharaoh nodded and took hold of Yuugi's other hand, "Correct _ari_. Now let's get started."

Squeezing his yami's hands, Yuugi smiled nervously at his mate, "Okay, show me what to do."

Atem smiled reassuringly, ((Follow my lead,)) he told the hikari, carefully assisting the teen in releasing his magic and channeling it towards breaking the seal. The sheer amount of concentrated magic they were using worried the dark one and there was a moment when Atem feared that their own power would rebound on them. Before that had could happen though, the seal gave and their power cracked through, erasing the evil magic from the item.

Seconds later, a large sphere of aqua light appeared in the center of the tent and quickly faded to reveal a handsome man with long aqua hair with spiky bangs that framed his face and golden yellow eyes, with a simple gold crown that curved into three spikes and was set with a single oval ruby sitting under his bangs. The man was dressed in a dark blue, floor-length, mandarin collared robe, with an orchid tunic bearing a simple design at the bottom in a darker purple over it. He also wore a long, pale lavender cape attached at the shoulders, along with a black sword belt around his waist that held a sheathed, double-edged sword at his side.

Yuugi stared at the man in undisguised shock, noting absently that the man was nearly as tall as Kaiba, and found himself a bit unnerved by the power he could feel rolling off the man, this guy was Hanasaki-kun's darkness?!

((Have no fear, _ari_. Dartz is a good man and a loyal friend,)) Atem reassured his skittish light. ((Besides, I'm stronger than he is.))

"_Per-aA _Atem! It's good to see you! Did you succeed in defeating the traitors?" the aqua-haired man greeted the shorter ruler, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

Atem shook his head ruefully, "No, I too was sealed. My _akhu _solved the puzzle and released me from my prison," he explained, waving a hand towards the pyramid that was now hanging from Yuugi's neck.

Yuugi smiled shyly at the wide-eyed king as Atem drew him to his side. "_Mry_, I would like you to meet Dartz, King of Atlantis." Yuugi bowed politely; giving the other man time to recover from his shock, after all his past self was just a baby when they had all been sealed.

"It is a honor and a pleasure to see you again, young light," he said, bowing to the smaller tri-color-haired teen. "Now I must go to my own light. I can feel his soul nearby," the Atlantean king told them, preparing to leave the tent they were in.

Yuugi panicked, if Dartz went now-, "Dartz-san matte! Tryphon isn't . . . I mean Hanasaki-kun doesn't . . ."

"What Yuugi is trying to say, is that there are things you should know before you go to your _akhu_," Atem said solemnly, eyes never leaving the other ruler's.

"Yuugi?" Dartz asked, confusion and dread growing within him.

Atem sighed heavily, "Yes, this is Yuugi Mutou, the reincarnation of Heba, who died with the others nearly three thousand years ago."

For a long time the Atlantean said nothing, his head bowed enough that his bangs hid his eyes. "It is as I feared," he finally spoke haltingly. Raising his head he locked eyes again with the young pharaoh, "I felt it Atem. I felt the life leave my beautiful Tryphon. He was so distraught from finding our other knights dead that his feelings were bleeding through the mental blocks we had erected. I felt his panic and then the agonizing severing of his soul from mine."

Both Atem and Yuugi stared at the man, their expressions a mix of sympathy and horror. He had been sealed knowing his mate was dead? The pain and heartbreak must have been excruciating!

"If the gods have seen fit to give me a second chance with my beloved, then I have nothing but thanks for this opportunity," he smiled sadly at the two teens. "But I will listen to any advice you might have."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Over in the archives, Tomoya Hanasaki was attempting to get down a particularly stubborn book that was just barely in his reach. Stretching to his full height and pushing up on to his toes, he had just managed to grab hold of the spine when a rush of energy washed through him making him cry out in surprise and drop to his knees. Pressing a hand to his chest directly over his pounding heart, the gray-eyed teen sat for a moment, completely confused. 'What was that?' he thought, staring off into nothing, the book he was after forgotten for the moment.

Feeling an odd warmth directly beneath his hand, he reached into his shirt to pull out the pendant he was researching. For some reason, Pegasus had insisted he actually wear it, so the small teen had humored him but kept it tucked under his shirt to avoid unwanted attention. Now as he grasped it in his palm, he knew that it was warmer than it should be from body heat alone, turning it over he released a startled yelp and dropped it. It didn't go far, simply thumping softly against his chest, the strange glow it had been emanating fading so quickly that the orange-haired teen could almost believe he'd imagined the whole thing. Almost.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

After Dartz bade them a good day and left to find Hanasaki, Yuugi turned to his mate, "Atem, earlier you said that Dartz and Tryphon were together for almost thirty years. Did they grow up together?" he asked, quite confused by the Atlantean king's youthful appearance.

"No, _mry_. They met twelve years before I was born, when Tryphon was sixteen and Dartz was twenty-four. Tryphon had come to the palace to become apprentice to their royal scholar. I was told that when the old man brought Tryphon in to court to introduce him to the king, Dartz literally leapt off his throne and pinned Tryphon to the nearest wall. Tryphon admitted it was only the quick thinking of Dartz' father Ironheart that had gotten them out of the throne room and safely into Dartz' bedroom." Seeing the unspoken question in his mate's eyes he explained simply, "Tryphon had to literally lure Dartz through the palace halls, while following the direction spell Ironheart cast for him to follow."

Yuugi giggled, "And that worked?"

"Well, Dartz did admit that he "stalled" their progress once or twice along the way," he chuckled, "and managed to shock quite a few of the palace residents while they were at it."

Yuugi laughed outright at this, trying to picture the handsome king and his shy friend behaving in such a manner. His laughter slowed to a stop as a slightly disturbing thought occurred, "Are they immortal?"

Atem shook his head, "No, our kind simply live a long time and age slowly after reaching adulthood, my light."

A delicate black eyebrow arched, "How long?"

"It is not uncommon for our kind to live for around one thousand years or more."

"WHAT?!!!!"

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Silently entering the archive building, the Atlantean king scanned the aisles for his mate. He'd tracked the teen's soul to this structure and was unsurprised to find that his beloved was holed up in amongst the archives. Searching the cramped area he soon came upon a heart-achingly familiar scene: Surrounded by piles of books, parchments, and other papers, Hanasaki was working intently, poring over a particularly large tome, pausing every so often to jot down notes as he read.

The pale orange-haired teen gasped in shock as a pair of warm arms slipped under his own to wrap around his middle, giving the boy an over whelming sense of deja vu. He wasn't given much time to dwell on it as the owner of the arms quickly picked him up and pulled him back against a solid chest, knocking the stool he'd been sitting on over in the process. Frightened by the strange sensations flooding his body, Hanasaki began to struggle in the stranger's grip. When it loosened enough to allow him some movement, he turned in the other's arms to face his attacker and gasped in shock. With the exception of the modern clothing, this was the same man he'd seen in his dreams!

He blushed fiercely as the aqua-haired man gently cupped his face and began stroking his cheekbones in an almost reverent manner. He was gazing at the shorter male with such longing and devotion that for reasons he could not fathom, nearly made Hanasaki's heart break.

"I feared I would never see you again, my beautiful _fos to_(1)," he finally spoke, pulling the teen close to him again.

Hanasaki eeped and attempted to jump back, "D-do I know you? H-have we meet somewh-where b-before?"

'So he doesn't remember after all,' the man thought sadly as the realization that while his lover had been reincarnated, he would not have all the wonderful memories of their past together. He had hoped the teen might have retained some piece of his former life.

Shaking off his melancholy, he finally answered his light, "I am Dartz, King of Atlantis and your _skotos to_(2),"

"M-my what?!"

"Your darkness and mate. As you are my light and mate," Dartz explained, smiling warmly down at his light, not expecting the boy's next reaction.

Crying out in fright, the small teen thrashed frantically in fear and denial. Pulling free of the beautiful man's hold, Tomoya backed into a wall, his gray eyes wide in fright and denial. Mates. Light and dark. Atlantis . . . It couldn't be real! Sinking to the floor he covered his head with his hands, shaking his head in denial as Dartz attempted to calm him.

Finally the king had had enough. Crouching down next to his light, he pulled the panicking teen into his arms and began to rock him, softly crooning the same lullaby they used to sing to their daughter. After a while he felt the teen relax bonelessly in his arms, chuckling softly to himself when he realized his beloved light had fallen asleep. Standing with the boy held bridal style, he carried him out of the building and to his tent.

Laying the boy down he took a moment to change the cot into a comfortable bed, removed the teen's wire-rimmed glasses then paused to cast a spell on the tent, barring anyone outside from entrance and stopping sound from escaping. Magically stripping them both down to a single garment, Atem's light had called them "boxers", he joined his light on the bed, wrapping an arm around his waist and curling comfortably around his small form.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Hanasaki slowly returned to awareness feeling very cherished and safe. Sighing he snuggled into his warm bed, the more awake part of his brain shouting a warning to him. Stubbornly, he tried to resist the urge to awaken, but the sound of soft laughter brought him fully alert. His head snapped up and he found himself staring wide-eyed at the laughing Atlantean king.

"You're quite adorable when you are waking up, my _fos to_."

Yelping in fright, the orange haired teen attempted to bolt off the bed, only to find himself restrained by the other man's arms. After watching his struggling and fear increase, Dartz decided to put a halt to it. "ENOUGH!" he shouted, making the captive teen freeze in shock. Removing his right arm from the boy's waist, he gently brushed Tomoya's hair back, holding his hand to the side of his light's face. "Calm yourself, my love and tell me what is frightening you so."

Unconsciously reveling in the older man's touch, Hanasaki sighed. Why was he so scared? "I-I don't understand," he muttered, continuing before Dartz could inquire further. "I've been feeling all these strange emotions since we got here. And then . . . YOU show up." He looked up into Dartz' gold eyes, "I dreamed about you. And me. We were somewhere that doesn't exist and I thought it was just a weird dream until I saw you. What's going on? Why did I dream about you and how are you even here? Is this even real?!" he ended on a nearly hysterical note.

Warm lips pressing against his own cut off the rising tide of hysteria and brought about a wealth of pleasant sensations welling to the surface of his being. So pleasant in fact, that he couldn't help the slight whimper that escaped when the beautiful man pulled away.

Dartz chuckled warmly at his reaction and couldn't resist giving the teen another quick peck on the lips. "Did that feel like a dream, my _fos to_?" Tomoya blushed cherry red and shook his head rapidly, bringing another short laugh from the Atlantean. "Now, if you are listening, I shall explain everything. There exists a race of creatures in this world known as lights and darks, human-like magical beings who have co-existed with the human race for thousands of years. At least we did until a xenophobic sorcerer decided to wipe out our kind. Three thousand years ago, my mate and I were visiting Khemet when this madman attacked. He managed to seal myself and all the darks of Atem's court, Atem included, along with a few of our knights. The rest were murdered with our lights."

Tomoya stared at him in shock, "Then that means . . . oh my god! That Atem guy Yuugi-kun was with this morning, he's the Pharaoh?!"

Dartz nodded, "Yes, and Yuugi is the reincarnation of his light, Heba."

"So what does this have to do with me?"

"I think you already know," the aqua-haired man replied, smiling mysteriously, "But to be sure that there are no misunderstandings . . ." he leaned in and rubbed his nose against Tomoya's, "You, Tomoya Hanasaki, are the reincarnation of my light and my soul mate, Tryphon."

The orange-haired boy inhaled sharply as Dartz pulled the now unresisting teen flush against his body, making the teen suddenly very aware of the fact that the two of them were only dressed in their underwear.

Tomoya stifled a squeak as the charismatic man holding him slipped a hand down from his waist to grope his rear, Dartz taking advantage of his surprised reaction to press their lips together. The Japanese teen froze in shock, gasping in surprise as the aqua-haired man began cupping and kneading his buttocks with both hands. His gasp gave Dartz the opening he needed and the Atlantean king wasted no time in delving deep into his mate's wonderful mouth. As an insistent tongue stroked along his own, Tomoya found himself hesitantly responding to the other's advances. He couldn't understand why, but for some reason, the more of the other male he got, the more he wanted, his inexperienced hands beginning to stroke hesitantly across the broad chest of the other man, earning him soft sounds of approval amidst their kisses.

-

November 19, 2008  
-edited May 06, 2009

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

1 - ancient Greek for light

2 - ancient Greek for darkness


	8. Chapter 8

Title: Retrieving Destiny  
Part: 8/23  
Author: Murasaki Rose  
Beta: none  
Genre: Romance/Fantasy/AU  
Rating: R  
Spoilers: Yami Yuugi's real name  
Warnings: Yaoi (male x male), implied Mpreg  
Pairings: YYxY, SxJxS, DxT, YBxR, YMxM, HxO, PxC, IxM  
Minor Pairings: BMGxA, BMxK, TxCxH  
Disclaimer: Here we go. Yu-Gi-Oh and all its characters are the property of Kazuki Takahashi, Shueisha, Konami, Toei, and unfortunately, 4 Kids Entertainment. In other words, I don't own them and I'm not making any money off of this, I'm just a fangirl having some fun.  
A/N: "text" = speech, 'text' = thought, ((text)) = telepathy

Summary: While assisting his grandfather on an excavation in Egypt for their senior class trip, Yuugi and his friends unleash seven powerful beings from their millennia-long imprisonment. These strange creatures, who call themselves "darkness", will bring about a series of life-changing events for the close-knit group of teenagers.

2,271 words | 2nd draft - 2,904 words

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

While Dartz and Hanasaki were getting "acquainted" with one another, Yuugi and Atem had joined the others down at the dig site itself. Today, he and most of his friends had been assigned the task of helping clear debris from the area and Yuugi was hoping to use this opportunity to help Atem begin acclimating.

"Will you be all right, koi?" Yuugi murmured softly to his mate as the two headed towards their station. He'd noticed the slightly glassy look in the pharaoh's eyes and had also been catching flashes of longing and sadness through their link.

"Ah," Atem replied, his eyes still a bit distant, ((It's just . . . very hard, _mry_. Everything I knew is gone.))

Taking hold of Atem's hand Yuugi entwined their fingers and used his free hand to gently guide his yami's eyes to his. ((But not everyone,)) the small teen reminded his lover.

Realizing his hikari was right, Atem laughed and pulled him into his arms. "Thank you, _ari_."

"Anytime, koibito. Anytime."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Passing by Jonouchi and Kaiba, Yuugi once again caught the blond watching them, or rather Atem, from the corner of his eye and sighed. His best friend had been acting odd all day and it was really starting to worry him. He hadn't seen the other teen so worked up since their class trip to the haunted shrine.

((Something wrong, _ari_?)) Atem asked, having sensed his light's concern.

((It's Jonouchi-kun,)) the Japanese teen admitted, ((I don't know why, but every time you're around he starts acting weird. He's been freaking out a lot since we got here and now it's almost like he's in shock.)) Yuugi told Atem as they both pushed wheelbarrows of dirt over to the debris pile.

Atem glanced over in the blond's direction, a thoughtful expression on his face. ((Perhaps he remembers some of his past.))

"You knew Jonouchi-kun?!" Yuugi yelped out loud, forgetting to use the mind link in his shock.

Atem nodded, "Yes _ari_, I knew him," he answered aloud before continuing through their link, ((He was the personal bodyguard of my High Priest and his _akhu_ . . . and a good friend.))

((Really?!)) Yuugi asked excitedly, the unspoken: Tell me more!, easily deciphered from his tone.

Crimson eyes grew distant as the young darkness thought back, ((His name was Jono and he was the youngest son of five children. His father owned a small farm that kept their family fed with enough left over to sell or barter for anything they could not provide for themselves. I met him when I was five years old and my father took me on my first tour of the small villages surrounding the capital. It was something my father did often so he would have a better understanding of our country and our people and he wanted me to do the same.

The first couple villages were uneventful, my father would ride the main street with me seated in front of him and he'd point out interesting sites to me while the people cheered. Then we would stop and catch a light meal with the village elders and merchants before heading on to the next. It wasn't until we reached one of the fringe villages that things got interesting:

As we were riding down the main street my father's horse suddenly spooked and reared up on it's hind legs. Startled, I lost my grip and fell to the ground beneath the panicking horse. I tried to get out of the way, but the horse came down in front of me, spinning around a couple times before rearing again as my father tried desperately to get it under control.

Disoriented and too afraid to move, I froze in the worst possible place, directly beneath the horse's dropping front hooves. I had just enough time to register the danger I was in before my vision was filled with a flash of red and gold.

The next thing I knew, I was safely on the side of the street, floating about a foot above the ground in someone's arms, watching as the guards finally calmed my father's horse.

"Are ya okay?" I heard someone ask as I was set down. Wanting to thank my rescuer I turned around and saw a blond-haired boy with slender, red dragon wings grinning at me. Before I had a chance to speak though, my father had picked me up and was reassuring himself that I was unharmed.)) Atem smiled warmly from the pleasant memories.

((Jono might have snuck away from us unknown, but fortunately for him, Seth was with us too.))

((Seth?)) Yuugi asked, he hadn't heard this name before.

((My cousin, fellow darkness, and later on my High Priest,)) Atem explained, remembering his frustratingly arrogant cousin with a fondness one can only have for their family. ((Seth spotted Jono trying to slip away and literally jumped off his father's horse to chase after him. Jono was so startled he didn't even try to fly, he just ran. But being four years older than us, Seth was bigger and faster than Jono was and had no trouble catching up and tackling him to the ground.

When the rest of us caught up to them, Seth had pinned him and Jono was yelling and thrashing around trying to escape. By then his mother had arrived and managed to calm him down, but she looked terrified. Father then decided to send the three of us back to the horses with some of the guards so he could talk with Jono's mother and father who had finally arrived.

The first thing I did was thank him for saving me and ask for his name. He told us and then Seth apologized for tackling him, which shocked me, because Seth never apologized to anyone. With a little coaxing, he even got Jono to open up and talk to us. He told us about his older siblings, his parents, and what it was like growing up on a farm. We even learned that his parent's had no idea just what their youngest son really was and so to protect him, they had kept his wings hidden all his life.))

Amethyst eyes blinked in confusion, ((He wasn't a yami?))

((No, he was a _ms-n hwi_ (1). They are similar to _akhu_ and _kkwy_ in that they are magical and human in appearance, but _ms-n hwi_ possess magic of their own and their forms vary greatly. Some have wings like _akhu_ and _kkwy_ do, some have other animal features, most look entirely human but can either shape-shift or are powerful magicians.))

At the word magician, Yuugi's eyes lit up and sparkled in delight, a host of new questions lining up for later. ((Go on,)) he prodded his darkness, looking over at his best friend and grinning, trying to picture the blond with wings like Atem had described.

Atem chuckled, ((Patience _ari_. Now as I was saying, Jono had no idea that he was perfectly normal and had run simply out of fear from being exposed. Seth and I were more than happy to tell him all about _ms-n hwi_ while we waited. Eventually our parents returned and my father informed us that Jono would be coming with us to the palace for training. Jono began panicking again until his parents managed to reassure him that it wasn't a punishment, but a privilege and that they would visit whenever they could. Taking in his distress Seth, who had become quite taken with Jono, spoke with my uncle and got him to promise that we could come visit Jono's home too.

So Jono returned to the palace with us and from then on, you hardly ever saw Seth without him. They spent every possible moment together, save when they were having lessons or training, so it was only natural that Jono become Seth's bodyguard. Then when Seto came to the palace, Jono became his guard as well and their duo became a trio.))

((Seto?)) Yuugi interrupted, glancing over at his best friend's auburn-haired boyfriend.

((Yes, _mrw-t_ (2). Seto, my cousin's _akhu_. He was born eight years after Jono came to the palace,)) Atem smiled fondly, ((I find it ironic that he would be given the same name in both lifetimes and that he would fall in love with Jono's reincarnation. It also reassures me that the three of them will be very happy together.))

((Three?)) Yuugi's face turned bright red at the implications.

Atem laughed at his light's innocent reaction, pulling the smaller teen to him in a tight hug. "Three _antyw akhu_. Seth and Jono were married when Jono turned sixteen and they intended to marry Seto when he reached sixteen as well. I highly doubt Seth will let imprisonment, death, or even reincarnation, get in the way of their plans."

Stunned and just a little embarrassed by that last revelation, Yuugi focused his attention on his work while ignoring the amused chuckles coming from his mate.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The happy laughter coming from his best friend Yuugi and the new guy Atem drew Jonouchi's reluctant attention back to the pair for the umpteenth time that day. Watching the darker-skinned male hugging his friend, the blond felt his hackles rise, something was seriously wrong here. First there was Malik, who looked just like an older version of one the children from his dreams, then Pegasus hands him the same bracers he was always wearing in his dreams, and now the Pharaoh from the same dreams was cuddling with his best friend!

He'd known something was up when Yuugi had shown up late that morning. Having known the small teen for several years, Jonouchi had had no trouble seeing through his friend's lame excuses but since he seemed happy and healthy, he hadn't wanted to call him on it. Until Yuugi had introduced Atem to them.

Seeing the Pharaoh real and right in front of him had shocked him so badly that Jonouchi swore his brain exploded right then. If it hadn't been for Seto's hand gripping his shoulder, he would have bowed to the man!

Equally strange was how close Yuugi was to the newcomer. Now Jou knew that Yuugi was a friendly and affectionate soul by nature, but he was also very shy when it came to romantic and sexual advances. In the past the small teen would always blush tomato red and stutter whenever anyone professed interest in him. Now though . . . judging from the way Yuugi kept curling into Atem's side, the sultry and slumberous gazes they would exchange, and how they would hold hands with their fingers entwined, it was VERY obvious that there was more than friendship going on between them. How the hell did that happen so fast?!

"Slow down pup, you're going to strain something," Seto interrupted the blond's train of thought, placing his hands over his lover's. Jou scowled up at him and started to make a nasty retort when he noticed the direction of Seto's gaze. They had been working together on moving loose rock debris and his auburn-haired boyfriend had just stopped him from attempting to lift a particularly large one. Had he tried to lift it without paying attention, he most likely would have hurt himself.

"Gomen, Seto."

Brushing off his apology, the blue-eyed teen dug right in to what was bothering him. "What has you so preoccupied?"

Jou shrugged, "Oh nothing. Just that my best friend has suddenly gotten waaaay too close to a guy that conveniently walked into our camp and straight out of my dreams," he answered nonchalantly.

"The reoccurring ones?" Seto asked, dreading the blond's reply.

Jonouchi nodded, a grim expression on his face, "That guy is the Pharaoh in my dreams, right down to the damn name!"

Seto's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, focusing on the pair of tri-colored teens working nearby. His eyes widened when he noticed what was hanging around Yuugi's neck. "Is that the puzzle Pegasus gave him to work on?"

"Yeah. Yuugi said he finished it last night and the crazy guy insisted he wear it for now. He even gave him the rope it's on," Jou answered, remembering yet another of the odd events of the day. "What kind of archaeologist lets a teenager run around wearing a priceless ancient artifact?"

"A very strange one," was Seto's absent reply, his mind returning to the strange scepter still in their tent.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

As dinnertime rolled around there was still no sign of either Hanasaki or Dartz. Remembering the warnings he'd received before and concerned as to the couple's well-being, Pegasus had asked Yuugi and Atem if they would retrieve them, trying desperately not to laugh at their disturbed/reluctant expressions. After all, it wouldn't do to anger the one person capable of ensuring that the Atlantean couple actually ate today.

"Do you really think they're still . . ?" his wife asked, blushing and unable to even complete her own question.

Watching the two tri-colored teens leave the mess tent, Pegasus began laughing softly. "From the way Atem spoke earlier, I wouldn't be surprised if they are. You did notice that he didn't look the least bit surprised that they weren't here."

"Oh my," Cynthia replied, unable to think of anything else to say.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Arriving at Hanasaki's tent, Atem and Yuugi were brought to a halt at the entrance by a simple, faintly luminescent barrier spell that had been erected over the entire structure. Yuugi poked at it curiously, giggling when it gave slightly and seemed to jiggle in reaction. "I wonder how nobody noticed this?" he asked, poking it again.

"Only someone with magical abilities can see it," Atem explained, holding a hand just above the surface. "To anyone else, they would just cease to wish entrance upon trying."

"Oh," Yuugi's eyes widened adorably. "Do you think they're asleep?"

"Hard to tell," Atem smirked, "Dartz has also added a silencing spell to it."

"Oh boy," Yuugi sighed, shaking his head. "I guess we'd better get this over with then. Hanasaki-kun needs to eat."

"Agreed," Atem replied, concentrating his magic to breaking both spells. As the shield faded the tri-color haired duo braced themselves for anything . . . and were greeted by the faint sounds of movement. Breathing a shared sigh of relief, they grinned at each other and stepped inside.

As they expected, inside the tent the smell of sex hung heavily in the air. Over on the bed, the Atlantean king lay curled around Tomoya with just a lightweight sheet providing them enough cover to protect their modesty. Smiling happily at the heartwarming scene, Atem wrapped an arm around Yuugi's waist, pulling his own light close before clearing his throat.

Dartz' eyes snapped open and focused on the their two "guests", recognizing them immediately he relaxed and gently shook his mate's shoulder. Hanasaki groaned in protest, nuzzling against his darkness as he reluctantly began to wake.

Knowing that Atem wouldn't leave until he'd had his say, Dartz decided to give his light an extra nudge to move things along, ((Wake up love, we have company.))

The reaction was instantaneous, Tomoya's head popped up, dark gray eyes blinking owlishly at his mate, "Huh?"

A soft giggle from Yuugi brought his attention to the other yami and hikari in the tent. "Pegasus-san wanted to make sure you weren't sexed to death."

Blushing bright red, Tomoya pulled the sheet up over his head in embarrassment. "I am never showing my face in public again."

"Don't worry Hanasaki-kun, we're the only ones that know," Yuugi tried to reassure the other light.

Dartz looked over at Atem who shrugged in response, "You missed the mid-day meal and the evening one has already started."

Assuring the two that they would be along shortly, Dartz turned his attention to his mate. His beloved had done the same thing after their first time all those centuries ago in Atlantis. Remembering how he'd gotten the boy out the first time brought a devious smile to his face. This would be fun.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Dinner went smoothly, if one disregarded Jonouchi's near panicked reaction to Dartz, and Yuugi's friends were even less suspicious of Dartz than they had been of Atem. Yuugi suspected it had something to do with the idea of a research assistant they hadn't met being easier to accept than Atem's late night arrival. Unfortunately for Hanasaki, the persistent blush on his face had the group asking questions that his aqua haired mate was more than happy to answer. Luckily for the poor teen, a round of kicked shins beneath the tables had ended both the questioning and any more too-informative answers.

Now as the rest of camp readied for bed, the four yami and hikari sat in Yuugi's tent discussing their next move. Yuugi was practically beside himself with worry over Jonouchi. He could see that his best friend was fast approaching his breaking point and it worried him greatly.

"If Jono's reincarnation is so upset, then I believe Seth would be our best choice," Dartz advised.

Atem nodded in agreement with the Atlantean king, "He always could calm Jono down."

Yuugi looked up hopefully at his darkness, "Can we do it right now?"

"With Dartz and Tomoya's help we can," he assured his light, pressing a warm kiss to his forehead.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?!" the small teen cheered, bouncing over to grab the bespectacled teen's hands, "Let's free ourselves a High Priest!"

-

November 20, 2008  
-edited May 12, 2009

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

1 - born to protect (ancient Egyptian)

2 - love (ancient Egyptian)


	9. Chapter 9

As always, lemony content of the edited chapters can be found at Mediaminer, AFF, or Little Dragon. ^_~*

* * *

Title: Retrieving Destiny  
Part: 9/23  
Author: Murasaki Rose  
Beta: none  
Genre: Romance/Fantasy/AU  
Rating: R  
Spoilers: Yami Yuugi's real name  
Warnings: Yaoi (male x male), implied Mpreg  
Pairings: YYxY, SxJxS, DxT, YBxR, YMxM, HxO, PxC, IxM  
Minor Pairings: BMGxA, BMxK, TxCxH  
Disclaimer: Here we go. Yu-Gi-Oh and all its characters are the property of Kazuki Takahashi, Shueisha, Konami, Toei, and unfortunately, 4 Kids Entertainment. In other words, I don't own them and I'm not making any money off of this, I'm just a fangirl having some fun.  
A/N: "text" = speech, 'text' = thought, ((text)) = telepathy

Summary: While assisting his grandfather on an excavation in Egypt for their senior class trip, Yuugi and his friends unleash seven powerful beings from their millennia-long imprisonment. These strange creatures, who call themselves "darkness", will bring about a series of life-changing events for the close-knit group of teenagers.

2,233 words | 2nd draft 2,435 words

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Hidden deep within the shadows, a pair of dark blue eyes watched fondly as Seto Kaiba stalked away from his tent after having promised the one within he'd return shortly. Not knowing why the teen had left, but unwilling to let such a fantastic opportunity pass him by, the darkness silently slipped into the still occupied tent. There he found Jonouchi changing into his nightclothes with his back to the entrance with a small flashlight functioning as his only source of lighting.

"That was quick. I guess they didn't have anything that would help, huh?" the blond spoke, not bothering to turn around as he finished dressing.

"No, but I have an idea that might work," Seth replied, stepping out of the shadows and into the dark tent. He had been surprised when Jou had began talking to him as no one should be able to detect him in the shadows, but he had quickly remembered that Jono was one of the few people he could never disguise his presence from. Coming up behind the blond teen, he wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him close, burying his face into the silky golden locks of his reincarnated husband and silently praising the gods for this second chance. He had been shocked and horrified when he'd learned what had become of the others and how much time had passed since he had been sealed. So many innocent lives lost, so much suffering . . . and all for one xenophobic bastard's grand scheme!

Sensing his mood Jonouchi squeezed his hands in comfort, prompting the Priest to drop a gentle kiss on to his neck. He could always count on Jono . . . or should that be Katsuya Jonouchi?

Turning in his arms, Jou grinned up at the man he thought was his lover, "You gonna share yer idea or am I gonna have ta guess?"

"Guess," Seth replied, leaning down and capturing the smiling mouth with his own. Jonouchi eagerly responded to his lover, opening his mouth to allow the other inside to engage in battle, absently noting in the back of his mind that "Seto" seemed to be wearing a new cologne.

"Gomen, pup. They didn't have anything that wouldn't knock you out until next week," Seto apologized, entering their tent with lantern in tow.

The sound of his boyfriend's voice broke through the pleasant haze Jonouchi was in, confusing the hell out of the poor teen. Wasn't Seto already back?

"WHAT THE HELL?!!!" Seto roared, coming to Jou's side as the blond scrambled away from the strange man he'd been kissing. A man who looked and sounded almost identical to Seto Kaiba.

Brandishing his lantern like a weapon, Seto pushed his boyfriend behind him protectively and glared darkly at his doppelganger. The imposter was dressed in ancient Egyptian costume, his dark auburn hair and sapphire blue eyes peering out from under a tall blue hat with a golden cobra in front and gold rays covering the side and back of his head. His darkly tanned skin bore gold arm bracers and armbands and covering his tall, sleek frame was a blue tunic that was tied at the waist with a gold belt with gold shoulder pieces and a large gold ankh on the chest, over a floor length light tan shenti (1). Topping off the strange look were the large black, draconic wings folded against his back.

"Greetings Seto Kaiba and Katsuya Jonouchi. I am High Priest Seth, Seto's _kkwy_ and Katsuya's husband." he said pleasantly, bowing politely to his beloveds.

"I don't have a husband!" Jonouchi howled indignantly. First this guy pretends to be Seto and gets him to kiss him and now he said they were married?!

"I don't care who the hell you think you are, but I'm seeing to it that you never come near either of us again!" Seto threatened, backing away from the apparently disturbed man in costume while dragging his wide-eyed lover towards the exit, intent on putting as much distance as possible between them and the lunatic.

Acting quickly the High Priest sealed off the tent blocking anyone from entering or exiting. Then remembering his cousin's warnings, he blocked sound from exiting as well before binding his light and husband in shadows and suspending them from the ground in mid-air to prevent them from accidentally harming themselves. As expected, the two immediately began yelling and thrashing as they attempted to free themselves from their bindings.

"Calm yourselves. It is of no use struggling, until you have learned how to wield your magic, you will be unable to free yourselves" he told them, making eye contact with both teens. Unfortunately for Jonouchi this mess was the final straw and, his mind and body unable to cope any longer, the over-stressed blond started to hyperventilate. Both auburn-haired males panicked and as Seto tried to verbally calm him, Seth came over and gently placed a hand to the curve of the blond's cheek.

"_htp_ (2) Jono. _htp hr s-h3_ (3)," the tall darkness intoned, softly stroking Jou's hair as his eyes reluctantly slid closed. Releasing him from the shadows, Seth took the blond in his arms and carried him over to the cot, making sure he was comfortable before returning his attention to his light.

"What did you do to him?!" Seto snarled furiously at the priest, straining futilely at his bonds.

"Relax _antyw akhu_. All I did was cast a sleep spell on him coupled with a memory spell. Neither will harm him." Seeing denial blaze in crystal blue eyes, he explained further, "Katsuya has been reliving pieces of his memories as Jono for some time. Having actual people and items from his past continually reappearing has been quite upsetting for him. You know this, _nhy hm-ntr_ (4)." Seth stifled a chuckle at the indignant glare the nickname earned him, there had been a spark of recognition in those bright blue eyes. "Now as he sleeps, our beloved _ms-n hwi_ shall regain his whole past and knit the two lives together."

Seto continued glaring at Seth before finally stating, "You're insane."

"And you are in denial," Seth rebutted, lightly poking the teen's nose with an index finger. "Thanks to that bastard sorcerer, all our kind: _kkwy_, _akhu_, and _ms-n hwi_ alike, went into hiding, leaving future generations ignorant to what they were and blind to the abilities we were blessed with.

Now if you are ready to listen, I will release you and we will talk."

"Fine," Seto relented unhappily. He didn't like being forced into any situation, but this guy had done something to Jou and it was best if he play along until he could be assured of the blond's safety. Besides that, he was fighting the urge to wrap his arms around the other man and never let go, something he had only felt with Jonouchi before. As soon as his feet were firmly back on the ground, Seto wasted no time in returning to Jonouchi's side, seating himself on the floor next to the cot and glaring defiantly up at the supposed High Priest. "When ever you're ready," he growled testily.

'Stubborn, possessive, and over-protective. By the Gods, he is my light,' Seth thought, smiling warmly at the surly teen. Removing his headdress, Seth shook out his dark auburn hair, then sat down on the floor next to his distrustful light. "You Seto Kaiba, are what my people called an _akhu_, a hikari in your language. And for every _akhu_ born there was a _kkwy_, a yami. The two were soul mates, destined to search one another out and share a bond like no other." He smiled at his light, "But sometimes . . . sometimes a yami and hikari would find another mate. Someone that fit them both so well, that the three of them would form a union. My Jono, now your Katsuya, is one of those rare cases. I met him when I was nine and was instantly enamored with him and when you came along eight years later, you were equally infatuated." He raised an eyebrow at Seto's disturbed expression, "It was an innocent love, one that morphed into a more adult love when we were old enough," he sighed wistfully, "Jono and I were looking forward to the day when your love would mature, but were happy watching you grow up with some of the other _akhu_."

"Other lights?" there was no way the man could know. "How many were children?" the pale teen asked, his disbelief starting to waver. This man couldn't possibly . . .

"There was you who were five, Rasui who was eight, Malik was eleven, and the Pharaoh's infant _akhu_, Heba." Seth answered honestly, watching a chink form in the armor of Seto's denial. "Just hours before the attack, you and Rasui had been playing with the young Atlantean princess, Chris."

"Then you really are . . ." Seto trailed off, his mind and voice failing him. He knew who this was. Jonouchi had told him everything he had dreamed about down to the last detail.

Smiling softly, Seth leaned in slowly tilting the pale teen's face upward with a gentle hand beneath his chin, "Your darkness and your mate, " he breathed, connecting their lips in a chaste kiss.

A bolt of desire shot through the Japanese teen at the contact, wringing a needy whine from his throat as the other pulled away. Seto grimaced and mentally beat himself up over the sound, but there was no taking it back. Seth on the other hand was quite pleased over the teen's loss of control and suppressing the urge to laugh, placated his mate with a firmer kiss, distracting him as he used his magic to make the floor more comfortable.

Seto felt the difference immediately and pulled away in surprise, "How did you-?" he cut himself off, waving a hand at the cushion piled floor.

"Shadow magic, _antyw akhu_. Something you will be able to accomplish with your own abilities once trained," Seth answered his curious mate, pushing him onto his back and crawling on top of his prone body.

"You my light, have grown into a handsome man," he purred, working open the buttons of the pale teen's shirt.

Seto snorted. "Narcissistic much?" he sneered, yet making no move to stop the darker male above him.

Unperturbed and undeterred by the snarky comment, the young priest yanked his light up into a hungry kiss and removed the distracted teenager's shirt. "Perhaps," he finally answered, nipping lightly at the pale teen's lips. "But it is our differences I find the most appealing," he continued, giving Seto's lighter auburn locks a playful tug. Pulling Seto flush against his chest, he reveled in the gasp the teen made as the cold metal of the ankh on his tunic made contact with bare flesh.

Seto hissed and instinctively tried to move away but Seth held firm, enjoying his light's squirming immensely. Still holding the teen close, his darkness licked and nipped his way down a pale neck to the juncture of his neck and shoulder before settling there to suck hard enough to leave a mark.

Seto's head lolled to the side, his eyes half-lidded in pleasure. A flash of gold in his peripheral vision quickly reminded him of who else was sharing the tent with them and roused him enough to form a protest, "S-Seth! We can't do this here! Katsuya needs his rest!"

Seth smirked, "Katsuya will not awaken until he is ready, no matter how loud we are," he promised as his grin turned lecherous, "and if he does, I'm sure he will be more than happy to join us."

-

November 21, 2008  
-edited May 13, 2009

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

1 - term used to describe the skirt-like wrap most ancient Egyptians wore.

2 - rest

3 - rest and remember

4 - little priest


	10. Chapter 10

Ah, okay. Minor lemon content here in the beginning. *_holds fingers less than 2 centimeters apart_* Really tiny one, I promise. I honestly couldn't remove it without seriously disrupting the story flow. The major lemon, and one of my personal favorites, can be found over on Little Dragon, Mediaminer, and AFF.

* * *

Title: Retrieving Destiny  
Part: 10/23  
Author: Murasaki Rose  
Beta: none  
Genre: Romance/Fantasy/AU  
Rating: R  
Spoilers: Yami Yuugi's real name  
Warnings: Yaoi (male x male), implied Mpreg  
Pairings: YYxY, SxJxS, DxT, YBxR, YMxM, HxO, PxC, IxM  
Minor Pairings: BMGxA, BMxK, TxCxH  
Disclaimer: Here we go. Yu-Gi-Oh and all its characters are the property of Kazuki Takahashi, Shueisha, Konami, Toei, and unfortunately, 4 Kids Entertainment. In other words, I don't own them and I'm not making any money off of this, I'm just a fangirl having some fun.  
A/N: "text" = speech, 'text' = thought, ((text)) = telepathy

Summary: While assisting his grandfather on an excavation in Egypt for their senior class trip, Yuugi and his friends unleash seven powerful beings from their millennia-long imprisonment. These strange creatures, who call themselves "darkness", will bring about a series of life-changing events for the close-knit group of teenagers.

1,891 words | 2nd draft - 2,104 words

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Gasping heavily Seth fell on to his back, folding his wings around them both so as not to crush them. Above him, Seto remained in position for some time staring sightlessly at the ceiling as he recovered. Finally as Seth lowered his wings, Seto lifted himself up on his knees allowing his yami's length to slip free of his body and stretched his spine, arching backwards in a graceful maneuver that left his darkness in awe. Slowly rising back up, the pale hikari smirked haughtily at his stunned yami, then abruptly dropped himself to all fours over his dark mate's prone body.

Moaning in arousal, Seth lifted his hands to tangle them in the light auburn locks of his hikari as the teen plundered his mouth, hungrily mapping out every detail with an eager tongue. Seth's own tongue rose to the wordless challenge and soon the two were engaged in an oral battle that raged between both territories until both sides were forced to retreat by the need to breathe.

Gulping in great mouthfuls of air, Seto refused to back down, instead shifting his assault to the rest of the other male's body. Running his hands over the older man's form, he carefully made note of every twitch and purr he earned from his efforts. Licking and nipping his way down Seth's body in the wake of his hands, he eagerly latched on to one of his dusky nipples, suckling hard on the tender nub and wringing a loud pleasured cry from his darkness. Smirking victoriously against Seth's chest, he dragged his tongue across the tanned surface until he reached the other previously-neglected bud, taking it between his teeth and nipping lightly, then soothing it with slow laps of his tongue before suckling it like the other. Beneath him his darkness writhed in pleasure, his cock hard and weeping between their bodies, completely overwhelmed by the aggressive behavior of his light. He was so lost in his hikari's treatment that he barely even registered the careful preparation of his own body.

A gentle hand on his face brought some clarity to his mind and he looked up into crystal blue eyes filled with compassion. "Are you all right?" Seto asked as long-stifled emotions filled him with an unusual amount of concern.

Knowing what was happening, Seth smiled encouragingly up at the teen, "Yes, I am fine. Now my light, claim me and complete our bond!"

Seto nodded and began carefully pushing inside his dark, gasping as the impatient yami suddenly bucked up and impaled himself fully on his shaft. "Shit Seth!!" the teen cursed from both the pleasure and his worry that he might have damaged the other male.

"It is nothing _antyw akhu_," he reassured his mate, wrapping his arms and legs around the younger male's body to encourage him to start moving. Taking his darkness at his word, Seto proceeded to pound his yami into the floor, growling in pleasure as the older male tightened his internal muscles in rhythm with his movements. Moving with an urgency even greater than before, it wasn't long before the two reached their second climax with wordless cries and Seto's transparent wings solidified in a burst of light.

Exhausted, Seto lay on Seth's chest placing lazy kisses to the sweaty flesh until a soft moan from off to his side brought the tired pair's attention to the lone occupant of the bed. Their gaze was met by lust filled honey-brown eyes that had locked on the contented duo, and were eagerly drinking in the delicious sight of creamy pale and tanned caramel skin entwined and slick with sweat.

"Don't stop on my account. Best damn floor show I've seen in either life," Jonouchi purred, drawing a hand over his own engorged arousal.

Seto glared half-heartedly at the blond, "How long have you been awake? And when the hell did you get naked?!"

"Just in time to watch you riding Seth like yer life depended on it," the blond replied, grinning unrepentantly, "and as soon as I could move," he continued, slipping off the cot and down onto the floor next to his lovers. "I almost got off just from watching you two, but I managed ta hold it back."

"Are you all right now Jono?" Seth asked in concern, placing a hand over one of his husband's. Jou grinned in response, winking mischievously just before a large pair of slender, red, draconic wings unfurled from his back.

"Never been better," he replied cheekily, reaching forward to stroke a hand down the edge of one of Seto's new wings. He chuckled softly as bright blue eyes slid closed in confused pleasure, "Looks like yours are just as sensitive as Seth's are."

"Wha-?" Seto tried to ask, but found his voice failing under the intense waves of pleasure radiating from his new appendages.

Still lying beneath the teen, Seth joined in the fun, stroking Seto's other wing and making the teen wither from the pleasure. "When a _kkwy_ and _akhu_ complete their bond, an _akhu_'s wings are released," he whispered into Seto's ear, slowly licking the delicate shell.

Squirming futilely, Seto moaned in frustration as his two lovers brought him back to a state of painful arousal. His wings flapped clumsily in an attempt to escape, but inexperience prevented him from making any effective movement. His only consolation was the knowledge that both Jou and Seth were nearly as aroused as he was.

((Feel up to satisfying our husband?)) Seth asked trying their new link. He wanted to get the drop on Jono and this was the perfect way to do it.

((What did you have in mind?)) Seto replied a bit haltingly, ((and what the hell is this?!))

((Mindlink, comes as part of the bonding,)) Seth replied, carefully shifting his weight beneath Seto, ((and we are going to jump him . . . now.))

On the word 'now' Seth stopped stroking Seto's wing, giving the teen enough clarity of mind to pull away from Jonouchi's hand, allowing them both to move as one and pounce on their _ms-n hwi._

Jou oofed as his back hit the cushion covered ground a nervous/anticipatory expression coming over his face as he looked up at the light and darkness pinning him down. "So now that ya got me, what are ya gonna do with me?" he asked huskily, hoping to prod one of them into action.

"Hmm. I was going to suggest we tease you to the brink . . ." Seth started, sapphire eyes roaming the blond's form.

"But it looks like you're there already," Seto continued, lightly running a finger up Jou's painfully engorged cock, drawing a hiss from the other teen.

Releasing Jou and moving to the side, Seth pulled the blond up and moved behind him, carefully positioning himself between the _ms-n hwi's_ wings. At the same time, Seto captured Jou's lips in a bruising kiss, plunging his tongue into the other's mouth fiercely.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

As morning's light dawned over the camp, the spells sealing off one particular tent faded as the three exhausted forms inside collapsed in a heap on the cushion covered floor. Physically and magically drained, Seth used the last bit of his energy to magically clean away the evidence of their carnal activities and create a sheet to cover them with, glad they had thought to hide their wings earlier. He knew not one of them could manage the simple spell if they tried.

"I don't care who comes in that door. I ain't movin' 'til next week!" Jonouchi exclaimed snuggling between Seto and Seth.

"Agreed pup," Seto grunted, burying his nose in the soft golden strands of Jou's hair.

"As do I," Seth told them, throwing an arm over both teens and settling down to sleep. 'Rest now, every thing else can wait."

-

November 22, 2008  
-edited May 19, 2009

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o


	11. Chapter 11

Title: Retrieving Destiny  
Part: 11/23  
Author: Murasaki Rose  
Beta: none  
Genre: Romance/Fantasy/AU  
Rating: R  
Spoilers: Yami Yuugi's real name  
Warnings: Yaoi (male x male), implied Mpreg  
Pairings: YYxY, SxJxS, DxT, YBxR, YMxM, HxO, PxC, IxM  
Minor Pairings: BMGxA, BMxK, TxCxH  
Disclaimer: Here we go. Yu-Gi-Oh and all its characters are the property of Kazuki Takahashi, Shueisha, Konami, Toei, and unfortunately, 4 Kids Entertainment. In other words, I don't own them and I'm not making any money off of this, I'm just a fangirl having some fun.  
A/N: "text" = speech, 'text' = thought, ((text)) = telepathy

Summary: While assisting his grandfather on an excavation in Egypt for their senior class trip, Yuugi and his friends unleash seven powerful beings from their millennia-long imprisonment. These strange creatures, who call themselves "darkness", will bring about a series of life-changing events for the close-knit group of teenagers.

2, 238 words | 2nd draft - 2,303 words

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Despite having had no intention of moving until at least the next day, Jonouchi found that he was unable to ignore his stomach once lunchtime rolled around. However, his two possessive lovers were making it impossible for him to even sit up!

"Aww, come on guys! I'm starving!" he whined plaintively, tugging futily at the arms they had locked tightly around his waist.

"Too tired pup," Seto grumbled, snuggling into the captive blond's back.

"Should you both not be sleeping?" Seth inquired groggily, not bothering to lift his head or even open his eyes as he spoke.

"I WOULD be sleeping if my stomach wasn't trying to chew its' way out of my body!" Jonouchi complained, his stomach voicing it's own protest with a loud growl.

((Guess we'd better feed the puppy,)) Seto sighed mentally to his other, sitting up with a loud yawn. Reluctantly, Seth did the same, stretching his arms over his head.

"Freedom!" Jonouchi cheered loudly, leaping out from between the two auburn-haired males before either one got the chance to grab him again. Cuddling was great, but not on an empty stomach!

While the naked blond rummaged through his bag for clothing to wear, Seth and Seto chose to sit back and enjoy the show their blond lover was providing them. It was while Jou bounced around happily getting clothing both for himself and his lovers that Seth remembered something he wanted to ask his hikari.

"My light, why do you call Jono "puppy"?" the priest asked curiously, he could tell it was a title given with affection, but he didn't understand where it had come from.

Seto smiled, "He's always reminded me of one: loyal, affectionate, playful, cute, noisy, and clumsy."

"Noisy!" Jonouchi's yelped indignantly, stalking over to glare at his smirking boyfriend. "I'll show you noisy you stuck up bas-mmmph!" the blond was cut off as Seto stood and swept him into his arms, sealing their lips together. Jonouchi flailed in protest at first before giving in and melting into the other teen's embrace.

Seth laughed at the pair's antics, ((I see what you mean, _nhy hm-ntr_!))

Breaking the kiss with a much calmer Jou, Seto raised an eyebrow at his darkness. That was the second time he'd called him by that name. "Katsuya . . . what does 'nhy hm-htr' mean?"

The blond grinned, quickly understanding that Seth must have reverted to the old nickname out of habit. "It's nothing bad or nearly as embarrassing as "puppy"," he reassured his boyfriend. "It was the nickname almost everyone in the palace called you by. It's kind of a play off of Seth's title as High Priest, it literally means: "little priest", because back then you were just five years old."

Seto blinked in surprise, a faint pink blush dusting his cheeks. "You are NOT calling me that in front of anyone else," he growled in embarrassment.

Seth grinned unrepentantly at his light, "I make no promises, Seto."

"Seth I mean it!"

Laughing the darkness stood and gave his flustered light a quick kiss on the lips, "I will try, but I can not guarantee I will not accidentally . . . slip up."

Seto growled in frustration as his two lovers laughed good-naturedly at his ire. He didn't like it, but knew that this was the best he was going to get from his stubborn dark.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Feeling happier and more complete then he ever had before, Seto declared that they would take a "mental health day" and spend their day together. Jonouchi had heartily agreed, for several reasons, and cajoled Seth into re-sealing their tent and conjuring up a late breakfast.

After sating their hunger, Seto and Jou took turns explaining the function of the dig site and why they and their classmates were there. The whole archaeological process was greatly confusing to Seth, who didn't understand the fascination with what he classified as junk, but he reluctantly shelved his protests after learning that both his Pharaoh and the Atlantean king were assisting in this odd array of menial tasks.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

It wasn't until after dinner that Atem and Dartz, accompanied by their lights, arrived at their tent. And not even a full second after the shield was removed, Yuugi bounded into the tent and over to Jou, leaping into his arms and snuggling up against his best friend's chest happily.

"I'm so happy that you're feeling better Jonouchi-kun!" he chirruped, dropping down to grab the blond's hands. The amethyst-eyed teen had been fretting over his friend's well being for some time and had immediately noticed the difference in his eyes the instant he'd walked into the tent.

"Neva' been better!" the blond replied, dropping the small teen's hands to grab him in a loose headlock and give the trapped hikari a noogie.

"Augh! Jonouchi-kun!" Yuugi wailed, flailing in the blond's grasp.

"Say uncle, Yug!" the taller boy taunted, his honey brown eyes glittering with mischief as he spoke the next words, "Or should I call ya Heba now?"

"Never!" Yuugi cried out in answer to both questions as he twisted until his hands were in range of Jou's sensitive sides. Launching an offensive tickle attack, the small tri-color haired teen was soon free of his best friend's grip and had slipped away to return to the safety of Atem's side. Laughing breathlessly, he managed to stick his tongue out before breaking into a fit of giggles.

Wrapping an arm around his laughing hikari, Atem addressed the former bodyguard, "Have all your memories returned, Jono?"

"Yes my pharaoh," he replied in ancient Egyptian, bowing to his sovereign, his amused expression hidden behind a curtain of golden blond hair.

"Hmph. Then you know you're only supposed to address me as Pharaoh in court," Atem replied, a peevish expression on his face.

Jonouchi raised his head, revealing his amusement, "Yeah, but I couldn't resist the urge ta tease ya."

"How did you get all your memories back?" Yuugi asked curiously.

"Seth did it," the blond answered, nodding his head in the direction of the High Priest. "He fixed it so I got all of them back in one shot, instead of in random bits of my dreams. All I had to do was settle both my past and present memories down together and that was it." He smiled reassuringly at his best friend when he saw the teen's troubled expression, "Don't worry Yug', I'm still me . . . just now I remember everything from being Jono too."

"Ano, Seth-san?" Hanasaki's soft voice broke through shyly. "That spell you used on Jonouchi-kun . . . would it work on anyone?" he asked nervously of the intimidating figure. The Egyptian darkness, who stood a bit taller than Kaiba, was even taller than his own darkness Dartz, but seemed to radiate a far more dangerous and intimidating aura.

Seth seemed to take no notice of Hanasaki's nervousness, or if he did, made no mention of it. "Yes it would. It's a generic spell and quite simple to cast, why do you ask?" he questioned, having a strong feeling he already knew the answer.

Hanasaki smiled up at him, "Then if it wouldn't be too much trouble, would you be willing to cast it on me?"

Dartz gasped and took hold of Hanasaki's shoulders, turning him to look him in the eyes. "Beloved, you're not doing this because you feel obligated are you? You know I love you as you are."

The pale orange-haired teen smiled up at his mate, "I know. But I can feel the loss you feel from my lack of memories." Dartz opened his mouth to protest and was stopped by a gentle hand covering his mouth. "It's deep and well hidden, but I can still feel it and . . . and . . I feel the loss as well," his smile turned wry, "There's a deeply buried part of my own heart that aches and yearns to remember what I have lost," gray eyes glittered warmly as he cupped the taller man's face with both hands, "So please, don't feel guilty. I want this as much as you do," he reassured the darkness, kissing him softly.

Gold eyes shining with unshed tears of joy, the aqua-haired male drew his small mate into a fierce embrace, closing his eyes and burying his face in the pale orange locks. ((How is it possible that I am so blessed?))

((Because you are you,)) Hanasaki replied hugging him back just as tightly.

Smiling softly at the heartwarming scene, Seth cleared his throat softly before speaking, "I would be happy to cast the spell when we are finished here." He told them, receiving a heartfelt "thank you" from them both.

"Yes, we still have the matter of the remaining sealed _kkwy_ and the missing _ms-n hwi_," Atem interjected, deciding it was time to move their discussion along. Besides, the sooner they finished, the sooner Seth could cast his spell. "Between the seven of us, we have more than enough power to release Bakura, Marik, Isis, and Otogi all at once," he told the assembled men. "However, I feel it would be best to wait until we have found and released our other protectors."

"But we already know where the other _kkwy_ are, why wait?" Jonouchi asked, confused by what seemed to him, an unnecessary delay.

"It's just a feeling I have," Atem answered pensively, "I don't think it wise to release that much magic without some form of protection."

"You fear an attack," Dartz spoke, understanding the other ruler's apprehension. There was much that had been hidden or "lost" over the millenia since their imprisonment and while their lights were well versed in the world, there were still many potential dangers that they were unaware of.

Atem nodded, crimson eyes narrowed in thought. "We never knew just who that sorcerer was, or the type of magic he was wielding. All we do know is that he succeeded and nearly wiped away all trace of our existence."

"And Pegasus did say that all the hikari and yami around the world went into hiding, but he couldn't find out why," Yuugi said, gently squeezing Atem's hand to offer comfort to his mate.

Seth's own sapphire eyes narrowed, "In that case, it is possible that he and his followers did the same and that his sect has survived."

"That is what I fear," Atem agreed, "and no offense to Jono, but if that is the case, it will be far too much for one _ms-n hwi_ to handle alone. That is why I feel we should find and release our _ms-n hwi_: Mahaado, Mana, and Kisara, as well as the Atlantean knights: Timaeus, Critias, and Hermos."

"Two _ms-n hwi_," Jonouchi interrupted.

"What do you mean, Jono?" Seth asked his husband, curious as to the blond's statement as he had not yet seen all of the teen's friends.

Atem groaned and slapped a hand to his face, "How could I have forgotten? Thank you Jono." Seeing that Seth was still confused, the young pharaoh explained, "Teana was reincarnated as well and is their friend Anzu Mazaki."

"I see. Shall I restore her memories as well?"

"You'd better," Jonouchi spoke again, "She's been having the same dreams I have so I know it'll make her feel a lot better to know she's not going crazy."

Yuugi stared at Jou in shock, ((She is?! Why didn't she tell me?)) he thought, unconsciously sending it through his link. He was feeling a bit hurt knowing that neither his best friend nor his oldest friend had confided in him.

((I'm sure they both had their reasons, _ari_. You know neither one would ever hurt you intentionally,)) Atem consoled him mentally while verbally telling Seth that it would be a good idea to restore the girl's memories tonight.

"I wonder though," Dartz interjected, a thoughtful expression on his face, "have either of you given any thought as to where our missing protectors have been sealed?" Once sure he had everyone's attention he continued, "Tomoya and I have been searching the archives extensively and have found not even the slightest hint as to where they could be."

"I have a theory," Seth responded, steepling his fingers thoughtfully, "to be able to seal Mahaado and Mana, both magicians of unparalleled power and skill, along with the four most powerful shifters our countries had ever known. To seal them so quickly and so permanently would take a great deal of power and a place that would sap them of their strength."

Atem, Dartz, and Jonouchi stared at the High Priest with dawning comprehension.

"The Shadow Realm," Atem breathed, shocked that he hadn't thought of it before.

Seth nodded, "Yes, the Shadow Realm. With your permission, I will go tonight and search them out."

Nodding eagerly, Atem grinned at his cousin, "Of course. I'll leave it in your hands." Standing and pulling Yuugi up with him, the Pharaoh said his goodnights and left.

Dartz did the same, staying behind long enough for Seth to cast the memory spell on his mate, then carrying the sleeping teen back to their tent.

"Are you sure you want to do this alone?" Seto asked his darkness, finally expressing his concern once the others had left.

"Yes _nhy hm-ntr_. If anyone has sensed our activity, I stand far less chance of being detected if I go alone."

"You better come back to us alive and in one piece Seth, or Seto and I will take turns kicking your ass," Jonouchi threatened his older lover.

Smiling warmly at the concern of his two lovers, Seth pulled them both into a crushing embrace. "Always, my loves. I shall never leave either of you again," he vowed, kissing them both deeply in turn before releasing them and melting into the shadows.

-

November 22, 2008  
-edited May 23, 2009

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o


	12. Chapter 12

Title: Retrieving Destiny  
Part: 12/23  
Author: Murasaki Rose  
Beta: none  
Genre: Romance/Fantasy/AU  
Rating: R  
Spoilers: Yami Yuugi's real name  
Warnings: Yaoi (male x male), implied Mpreg  
Pairings: YYxY, SxJxS, DxT, YBxR, YMxM, HxO, PxC, IxM  
Minor Pairings: BMGxA, BMxK, TxCxH  
Disclaimer: Here we go. Yu-Gi-Oh and all its characters are the property of Kazuki Takahashi, Shueisha, Konami, Toei, and unfortunately, 4 Kids Entertainment. In other words, I don't own them and I'm not making any money off of this, I'm just a fangirl having some fun.  
A/N: "text" = speech, 'text' = thought, ((text)) = telepathy

Summary: While assisting his grandfather on an excavation in Egypt for their senior class trip, Yuugi and his friends unleash seven powerful beings from their millennia-long imprisonment. These strange creatures, who call themselves "darkness", will bring about a series of life-changing events for the close-knit group of teenagers.

2,305 words | 2nd draft - 2,502 words

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Sighing heavily, Anzu settled into her bed for another night of restless sleep. She really wasn't looking forward to it, but her tired body was demanding she rest. Unfortunately the dreams she'd confided in sharing with Jonouchi had increased extensively over the last few nights. And after witnessing the successive appearances of first Atem and then Dartz, she couldn't blame the blond for needing time away from them. The blue-eyed brunette was finding it increasingly difficult to cope herself and felt that soon she'd need a "mental health day" too. Her saving grace through her storm of anxieties came in the form of the calm feeling she got with just a glance at Yuugi and Hanasaki's radiant and joyful expressions around the new arrivals.

"If only I knew why I've been seeing them in my dreams!" she muttered aloud.

"That is a problem I can solve quite easily."

Not having expected an answer to her question, Anzu let out a little shriek of surprise and bolted upright. "Kaiba-kun! What are you doing in my tent?!" she exclaimed angrily. Really, like she wasn't stressed out enough already!

"I believe you have mistaken me for my light," Seth replied, stepping out of the shadows and into view. Anzu stared in wide-eyed shock at the darker version of Seto, her mind immediately reminding her of the High Priest in her dreams. Not wanting to give her time to panic, Seth strode over to the still-seated girl and placed a hand on her forehead, "_htp hr s-h3_," he intoned in ancient Egyptian, casting the same memory spell on her that he'd cast on Jono and Tryphon.

Sky-blue eyes slid closed and the teenage girl fell back onto her bed, unconscious. Covering her to her shoulders with a blanket, Seth smiled down at the other reincarnated _ms-n hwi_, "Rest well, Teana."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Well into the night, dark gray eyes snapped open as the last vestiges of a man's final memories flashed through his mind. Panting heavily, the teen sat up and reached for his glasses on the bedside stand, 'Calm down Tomoya. You're all right. You're still alive. The other lights were reincarnated so maybe your remaining knights were too.' He turned to look down at his slumbering mate, 'Dartz is free and soon the remaining darks will join us.' He smiled now, softly kissing the Atlantean king on the forehead. 'Hopefully Seth is correct in his assumptions and we will be reunited with Timeaus, Critias, and Hermos. They'll freak when they learn how long they were sea-' Tomoya cut off his own train of thought as another hit him like a bolt of lightening.

((Dartz, wake up!)) he yelled through their link, badly startling his mate awake. The older man staring at his lover with the fuzzy awareness that only one who has been abruptly awakened from a deep sleep can pull off.

((I know where our daughter is!)) Hanasaki crowed in delight, launching himself at his darkness.

Fully awake now, Dartz stared at his light in shock. ((Didn't she die with you?)) he asked hesitantly, too afraid to hope for such a miracle.

The orange-haired teen shook his head vehemently, ((No! I put her into a magical form of stasis and hid her in subspace! I was going to hide the other lights there with her, but I was killed before I got the chance!))

With a cry of pure joy, Dartz leapt from the bed and swung Tomoya into his arms, spinning his light around the room. Unable to contain his happiness, he started to laugh loudly, his joy infecting his now giggling mate. "You remember?" he asked when he'd calmed enough to speak, but not enough to wipe the huge grin off his face.

Tomoya leaned up and rubbed his nose against Dartz', "Everything," he murmured against the other's lips, pulling away before the his mate could start anything. "Don't pout love, we need to get dressed and get our daughter back before we do anything else," he gently admonished his lover, pressing a quick kiss to pouting lips to mollify his sulking darkness.

"I can always count on you to keep focused on the important things," the Atlantean king said with a smile, using magic to dress himself.

"Just like I can count on you to keep me from getting carried away with my work," Hanasaki replied, doing the same for himself. Fully dressed, he wasted no time and after lighting the lamp on the table, began making a series of complicated hand signs.

((You're doing it here?))

((Of course. The return spell doesn't have to be cast in the same spot as the original to work,)) the former scholar replied through their link, already speaking the words of the incantation. Within seconds a bright light "opened" in mid-air and the body of a young girl floated out. Suddenly the light winked out and the girl fell into her father's open arms.

Light gray eyes fluttered open and a sunny smile broke out on the girl's cherubic features. "Daddy!" she cried happily, wrapping tiny arms around the aqua-haired man's neck, "You're here!"

"Hello, my little princess," he greeted his only child, tears of happiness threatening to overwhelm him.

Pulling away she spotted Tomoya standing next to her father's shoulder. "Mommy! You're here too!" she squealed in delight, letting go of Dartz with one arm to wrap it around the other man.

"I promised, didn't I?" he whispered into her soft brown hair, struggling with his own tears. Finally, they were reunited.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Walking through the dark, expansive void that was the Shadow Realm was quite dangerous and risky. Should a normal human find themself trapped there, they would become hopelessly lost in mere seconds and dead within minutes. Even the most skilled of mages were wary of treading the treacherous world alone, knowing that if the energy drain didn't kill them, the chance of some unknown creature doing so was even more likely.

Seth however, was no human or even a mage. As a _kkwy_, the shadows served him, bending to his will with little to no effort and providing him a useful and versatile power. But even he could eventually become lost or prey to one of the many creatures that roamed the dark realm. No fool, Seth wasn't just wandering blindly about in his search. He had sensed a familiar, comforting presence here earlier when he was shadow walking and it was this presence that he was following.

Kisara.

Kisara, the shape-shifting _ms-n hwi_, who's mighty blue-eyed, white-scaled, dragon form had sent even the mightiest warriors cowering in terror. Gentle and kind to her friends and allies, fierce and terrifying to her enemies, she was the older sister Seth and Jono had never had. It was Kisara who taught Jono how to fly over great distances and at daring heights with skill, speed, and agility. And it was Kisara who had calmed Seth when he had nightmares as a child and who cared for Jono when he was injured from his training.

Seth would know her power anywhere and it was this trail that he was following. Like a beacon of light in the distance, her powerful aura radiated mutely in the swirling mists, drawing the priest steadily deeper into the realm. Time was difficult to gauge here so Seth had no idea how long he had been walking in the dark, his only true proof of movement the steady increasing of Kisara's power as he drew closer. When it seemed as though he might never truly reach the end, the yami spotted a figure slumped on the ground. Wary of a trap, he cautiously approached the figure, testing the area with his magic for any signs of danger. Finally coming close enough to make out the features of the person, Seth found himself torn between joy and rage. Joy in finding the woman he was searching for and rage at finding her unconscious and bound tightly to the spot by chains imbued with powerful magic. Checking her bindings for traps, the dark auburn-haired priest then checked for any sort of spell that might send a warning out. Finding none, he grinned viciously, and gathered his own power to strike at her bonds. Releasing his power with a shout he blasted the chains, forcing more and more power into them until they began fracturing under the strain, then shattered with a deafening crack.

For a long moment nothing moved. Then came the near-silent sound of long white hair sliding over a slender shoulder and the rustling of linen cloth as the awakening woman sat up. Deep blue eyes blinked sleepily for a moment before locking on the man standing before her.

"_Nb i, Hm-Ntr Seth!_ (1)" she exclaimed in surprise, getting to her feet then bowing to the darkness.

"Rise Kisara," he commanded, smiling warmly when she raised her head. "I am glad I was able to locate you here."

"As I am to see you in good health," she replied with a smile of her own. "I feared that you might be harmed by our enemies. Tell me, are Jono and _nty hm-ntr_ Seto well?"

"They are now. However . . ." Seth's face took on a pensive expression, "After you and the others were sealed, the sorcerer and his priests made their way to the throne room. We engaged in battle, but they used their evil magic to seal our _Per-Aa_, King Dartz, Isis, Otogi, and myself. They had already successfully sealed Bakura and Marik and were drawing on their trapped power to defeat us. After we were sealed his warriors killed all the remaining _ms-n hwi_ and our _akhu_."

Kisara stared at the priest in horror, "Then how . . ?"

"Three thousand years have passed since we were sealed and the souls of our_ akhu_ and your fallen comrades were granted a second chance at life by the gods. It was Heba's reincarnation, Yuugi, who solved the puzzle that was Atem's prison and released him. They in turn released Dartz to reunite him with Tryphon's reincarnation. Then the four of them released me," he smiled again at the pale woman. "Jono and Seto were already together, this time born in the same year, and now we are together as we intended.

Our Per-Aa thought it best we find and release the sealed _ms-n hwi_ before releasing the other _kkwy_. We do not know the final fate of the traitor and his followers . . ."

Kisara nodded, "I understand. In an unknown situation, caution is best."

"You are the first I've found," he told her, looking out over the endless field of moving blackness.

Understanding what the priest wanted from her without needing an explanation, Kisara closed her eyes and held both hands over her heart. Reaching out with her powers she silently called out in search of her beloved husband, the darkness to her light, her mate, 'Mahaado.' Feeling a faint tug on her soul, she opened her eyes and turned to the High Priest. "This way," she said, walking off in the direction of the tug, followed closely by Seth.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

They came across the Black Magician not too far away from where his wife had been imprisoned. The beautiful woman had taken one look at her husband and had roared in rage, furious at what they had done to the man she loved.

Staring up at the bound magician, Seth couldn't entirely hide his shock. Encased inside a thick magic shield, the man was tied tightly from neck to toe in a mass of the same magic embued chains he'd found around Kisara. In addition, there appeared to be shackles clamped tightly around his neck, wrists, and ankles and secured to the "ground". It all screamed overkill, 'Why go through so much trouble to bind one man?'

"You know my husband is quite fearsome at his full power. They were right to fear him so," Kisara stated, having finally calmed enough to guess at the priest's thoughts.

Nodding and shaking off his surprise, Seth started feeling out Mahaado's bonds in the same manner as he'd done with Kisara's. As he worked Seth realized that the shifter had made a good point, Mahaado, the Black Magician, was the most powerful mage ever born in Khemet and quite possibly the entire world. Only someone using powerful talismans and evil magic could possibly have hoped to overcome him. 'Which is exactly what happened,' Seth thought wryly, breaking the shield and moving on to the first layer of chains.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Something was poking him.

Grumbling and snuggling closer to Atem, Yuugi attempted to ignore the irritating sensation and go back to sleep. Maybe it would go away? No such luck. The poking followed and even picked up a bit.

Yuugi swung an arm behind him, swatting blindly at his "attacker" and gaining a giggle for his efforts. A feminine giggle.

'What the-?' he thought rolling over and coming face to face with a cheerful looking green-eyed brunette teen.

"Hello Mana," Atem drawled groggily having been awakened by Yuugi's moving around. "As pleased as I am to see you alive and well, is there a reason you felt the need to poke my _akhu_ awake?"

"I'm afraid that is my fault my pharaoh," a new voice responded for her, giving the giggling girl a light thump on the head with his staff. "I must apologize for my apprentice's behavior. I sent her ahead to awaken you and did not specify how."

"There's no need to apologize, my friend. Yuugi just isn't much of a morning person," Atem replied, grinning at the sight of one of his oldest friends.

"Ouji-sama your _akhu_ is so cute!!" Mana suddenly squealed, glomping onto Yuugi.

"Mana!" Mahaado shouted in horror at his apprentice's manners.

Pouting the girl released the wide-eyed, confused light, "You're no fun teacher," she groused, raising her own staff. "I'm gonna go find Teana," she stated and vanished in a swirl of sparkles.

Looking between the two men and at their expressions Yuugi wondered if he should be worried. 'It's waaay too early for this,' he decided finally, shifting his focus to the man Atem had called his friend.

Sensing his confusion, Atem decided introductions were in order. "Yuugi, this is Mahaado, a magician _ms-n hwi_ and the girl who just left was Mana, his apprentice. Mahaado, this is Yuugi, Heba's reincarnation and my _akhu_. Yuugi is the one responsible for all our freedom."

Yuugi blushed modestly as Mahaado bowed to him, "I'm not totally responsible. If Pegasus-san hadn't done all that research and arranged to bring me here then none of this would have happened."

Atem nodded in agreement before returning his attention to Mahaado, "Where are Seth and the others?'

"Seth and Kisara have gone to see Jono and Seto. Timaeus, Critias, and Hermos have gone to report back to King Dartz and Tryphon."

"Hmm, we'll have to speak with Pegasus about finding new sleeping arrangements for everyone," Atem said, smiling at his dozing mate.

-

November 24, 2008  
-edited May 23, 2009

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

1 - My Lord, Priest Seth!


	13. Chapter 13

Okay, so we've finally hit the first chapter with yuri and just like the yaoi chappies, if you want to read the lemon you're gonna have to go to one of my other accounts to read it. ^_^

* * *

Title: Retrieving Destiny  
Part: 13/23  
Author: Murasaki Rose  
Beta: none  
Genre: Romance/Fantasy/AU  
Rating: R  
Spoilers: Yami Yuugi's real name  
Warnings: Yaoi (male x male), Yuri (female x female), implied Mpreg  
Pairings: YYxY, SxJxS, DxT, YBxR, YMxM, HxO, PxC, IxM  
Minor Pairings: BMGxA, BMxK, TxCxH  
Disclaimer: Here we go. Yu-Gi-Oh and all its characters are the property of Kazuki Takahashi, Shueisha, Konami, Toei, and unfortunately, 4 Kids Entertainment. In other words, I don't own them and I'm not making any money off of this, I'm just a fangirl having some fun.  
A/N: "text" = speech, 'text' = thought, ((text)) = telepathy

Summary: While assisting his grandfather on an excavation in Egypt for their senior class trip, Yuugi and his friends unleash seven powerful beings from their millennia-long imprisonment. These strange creatures, who call themselves "darkness", will bring about a series of life-changing events for the close-knit group of teenagers.

2,003 words | 2nd draft - 2,199 words

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

In order to not intrude upon their sovereign and his family, the knights of Atlantis had hidden within the Shadows and taken up posts around their tent with the intention of guarding them until morning. Of course they hadn't taken into account that one or both of Atlantean royals would sense them either.

Poking his head outside, Hanasaki grinned brightly and waved at Timaeus. "Come on in! We've been waiting for you!" he chirped happily before ducking back inside.

Glancing over at Hermos he saw the other knight giving him a wry grin before shrugging his shoulders and waving Critias over. Shaking his head, Timaeus stepped from the shadows and joined his fellow warriors; it was time to greet the royal family once more.

Entering the tent, the three knights bowed respectfully to their charges and were quickly made to sit and relax themselves.

"My lord, it is good to see you and yours in good health," Timaeus began after they had gotten comfortable.

"Lord Seth explained what took place after our banishment," Critias continued.

"-and the events leading up to our release," Hermos finished, picking up the end of their statement.

"That saves us some time then," Dartz replied. "Tryphon will have to explain the changes that have occurred over the last three thousand years, but first I would like to know what happened to you and the Pharaoh's _ms-n hwi_."

The three knights shared a look before Timaeus spoke, his voice and expression grim, "The moment the six of us entered the courtyard it was already too late."

"You mean . . ?"

"Yes. They were prepared for us and we walked right into their trap.

The first of us to fall was Mahaado. They must have known that he was of the most danger to them for he had barely entered the courtyard when a series of magic-formed chains and manacles locked around his neck, arms, and legs, immobilizing him instantly. Mana immediately tried to free him, but was quickly bound herself, while a second set of chains wound around Mahaado's body, binding him tightly from neck to foot.

Kisara and the three of us attempted to assist them, but we were mobbed down by wave of soldiers that literally came out of nowhere. They were magical creations, a golem of some type that continually regenerated no matter how fast we destroyed them. It was then we noticed that the men surrounding the perimeter of the courtyard were chanting.

Kisara transformed first and the four of us engaged in battle with his warriors, but even as we fought we could not stop the chanting. Kisara was sealed next, after being forced back into her human form; she was chained down and restrained.

In the meantime, we had managed to carve our way through a large number of his golem soldiers, but they just kept coming. So in an effort to get ahead, we changed into our dragon forms and carved our way through the remaining creatures, finally able to break them to the point of no regeneration.

As one, we turned our attention to the sorcerer and his priests, but were caught before we had a chance to retaliate. Impaled with our own swords then sealed in large blocks of crystal we were sent deep into the Shadow Realm along with the others, falling into a dreamless slumber until our release. We had no idea we were sealed for so long," the knight finished his tale, his remaining angular blue-violet eye closing.

It opened again when the he felt a light weight settling on to his lap and he saw his young princess smiling sadly up at him. Wrapping her small arms around his middle, Chris hugged the man tightly, "Don't be sad, Timaeus. It's okay now."

Smiling down at the little princess, he patted her head reassuringly, "Thank you little one."

"She's right you know," Tomoya said softly, smiling at all three knights. "We were all taken unprepared, but that was in the past. Now that we've all been given a second chance we won't let it happen again."

The warriors nodded, this was something they had promised themselves as well. Never again would they fail the ones they had devoted their lives to protect.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Seto didn't know what to think of the extremely pale, slender bodied, blue-eyed woman that had returned with Seth. At first, when the girl and his puppy had hugged and started laughing, he had wanted to be angry and jealous. Who was this woman to his pup and why was he so happy to see her? When Seth had explained who Kisara was and what she was to both him and Jou, the younger male had felt a bit of remorse from his jealous thoughts. Of course, that was until she shifted her attention to him. Now as he was being crushed to her ample chest by her thin, yet surprisingly powerful, arms he just kept hoping that one of them would make her let go!

As though sensing his thoughts, she released him enough to let him stand, holding his upper arms as she took stock of his adult form. "You've grown into such a handsome young man, _nhy hm-ntr_! You're nearly as tall as Seth!" she exclaimed, letting go to turn him around by the shoulders, "Let's see your wings then."

Having not had anyone attempt to treat him in such a manner since he was a small child, Seto was baffled and unsure of how to react to his new "big sister". Looking to his lovers he found the pair giving him encouraging smiles and reluctantly he brought out his wings, wondering silently just why she wanted to see them. Her delighted cry as she smoothed her hands across the large white appendages confusing him even more.

"They look exactly like miniature versions of mine!" the woman exclaimed in delight, "A perfect opposite to Seth's!"

"You have wings like Jou does?" he asked her curiously.

She smiled mysteriously, "Not exactly. Unlike Jono, I am a shape-shifter. That means that I only have my wings when I am in my full dragon form."

This had Seto's attention. "You turn into a dragon?" he asked, a glimmer of wonder shining through from deep within his eyes and voice.

Kisara laughed happily, her dark blue eyes shining with delight, "I'll be happy to show you when we can find an appropriate place for me to transform. Seth has told me that all our kinds seem to have gone into hiding, so to avoid detection, I'll need a lot of room and somewhere that we won't be seen."

Stamping down his disappointment, Seto accepted her word, "I'll hold you to that then."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Reappearing in Anzu's tent, Mana smiled down at her sleeping wife. Seth had told her about the memory spell he'd had to cast on the girl so she wasn't worried when the brunette didn't react to her presence. The priest had also told her that while Teana hadn't been as disturbed as Jono, the conflicting old and new memories were causing a lot of problems for the girl. Fortunately, the spell he cast would enable her to remember both lives without any conflict between the two.

Settling down in mid-air to wait, the young magician changed from her pink and blue battle armor to her normal tunic and shenti with a wave of her curled staff. According to Seth, he had cast the spell hours ago, so she knew it wouldn't be long before the other girl woke.

Moaning softly, Anzu's head tossed from side to side a couple times before her sky blue eyes fluttered open. The new awareness of her past life hit her with the force of a freight train, before fading comfortably with the memories of her current life. Sitting up she was stunned and overjoyed by the sight of her former wife Mana perched comfortably in the air above her.

"I was wondering when you were going to wake up," the perky magician commented, stretching out lazily to "lie down" above her. "I've been waiting for quite a while, you know."

"And yet you are still all the way up there," Anzu replied, flopping backwards on her cot.

Grinning, Mana changed the cot into a comfortable bed then dropped down on top of her reincarnated wife, using magic to slow her fall. "This better?"

"Oh yes," Anzu purred, tangling her fingers into light brown hair and pulling the magician in for a deep kiss.

-

November 25, 2008  
-edited May 25 2009

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Fun fact: The legendary knights: Timeaus & Critias were named after Plato's dialogues in which he speaks of Atlantis. Hermos is a shortened version of Hermocrates which was allegedly the title of the third dialogue that was to follow "_Critias_". However, "_Critias_" was never finished so "_Hermocrates_" was never written.


	14. Chapter 14

Title: Retrieving Destiny  
Part: 14/23  
Author: Murasaki Rose  
Beta: none  
Genre: Romance/Fantasy/AU  
Rating: R  
Spoilers: Yami Yuugi's real name  
Warnings: Yaoi (male x male), Yuri (female x female), implied Mpreg  
Pairings: YYxY, SxJxS, DxT, YBxR, YMxM, HxO, PxC, IxM  
Minor Pairings: BMGxA, BMxK, TxCxH  
Disclaimer: Here we go. Yu-Gi-Oh and all its characters are the property of Kazuki Takahashi, Shueisha, Konami, Toei, and unfortunately, 4 Kids Entertainment. In other words, I don't own them and I'm not making any money off of this, I'm just a fangirl having some fun.  
A/N: "text" = speech, 'text' = thought, ((text)) = telepathy

Summary: While assisting his grandfather on an excavation in Egypt for their senior class trip, Yuugi and his friends unleash seven powerful beings from their millennia-long imprisonment. These strange creatures, who call themselves "darkness", will bring about a series of life-changing events for the close-knit group of teenagers.

2,337 words | 2nd draft - 2,631 words

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Looking around the dining tent at the assembled teens and young adults, Pegasus could not help the feeling of pride that came over him. Just twelve years ago, he had been an awkward teenager with a pair of black toon bat wings and an ache in his heart that nothing could fill. Now along with a true sense of truly belonging to this world, he had his beautiful, brave, innocent and supportive wife Cynthia, the light to his own darkness, his inspiration and the center of his universe.

Even better, his shining light's support throughout all his research had helped him weather the rough times and now . . . now they were both being rewarded for all their hard work and struggles. They had not only found others of their kind, but were helping set a terrible ancient misdeed to right, one that became more and more real with every new darkness he met.

Now with their most recent and very unexpected arrivals, Pegasus found himself re-evaluating his plans. In all honesty he hadn't really thought much through beyond finding and bringing the lights to Egypt and then getting them to release their darker halves from their imprisonment. Looking back he realized that this had been a very dangerous and foolish maneuver on his part. Atem was a pharaoh that almost all record of had been obliterated, leaving Pegasus with no idea just how powerful the man was or if he could pose a threat to others. The same could be said of the Atlantean king, Dartz whose entire kingdom seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth, becoming a legend in itself, leaving even less information on him than there was of Atem. Then there was the newest darkness, the High Priest Seth, a man who to an ordinary person appeared to be an almost polar opposite of Seto Kaiba, yet to one who could sense auras it was clear Seth was a dark. After meeting Seth the silver-haired man wondered just how much of Kaiba's ruthless behavior was simply an act. It also made him very wary of angering the former priest.

Furthering his anxiety was the fact that all three men unconsciously radiated power and Pegasus was quick to realize that he was very fortunate that they all seemed to be benevolent and kind, though he feared what they might do if one of their lights were harmed.

((Stop worry over what might happen, my love)) Cynthia told him, sensing his apprehensive line of thought. ((The other darks are good men and like you they are completely devoted to the ones they love.))

((They're so powerful though. And there are still only three of them free,)) he replied, sharing his worries with his wife.

((Then we should be extra grateful that they are good at heart,)) she reassured him, strong in her beliefs that the other darks would not harm anyone unprovoked.

Spotting the recently freed _ms-n hwi_ strategically positioned around the tent, the silver haired man found himself uttering a small prayer that no one would provoke the ancient warriors or their light and dark charges. It could spell a disaster of the greatest proportions that he was ill prepared to handle.

When Yuugi and Atem had approached him earlier this morning, he'd had no idea they'd be bringing seven new arrivals with them. The older man had been expecting four new darks, not one Atlantean princess and six bodyguard/warriors that there had been little to no mention of in his findings. Still, he'd recovered from his shock admirably and made the necessary arrangements accordingly.

Now with both ancient beings and reincarnations all relaxed and together, Pegasus decided to use this time to observe them interact with one another and hopefully learn something about the Egyptian _ms-n hwi_ and Atlantean knights whose true names he had never found, but whose carvings had inspired some of his most beloved and rare cards.

He found himself starting with Mana, the apprentice "Black Magician" girl. The first word that had popped into his mind after watching the girl bound into the tent was "perky". Dressed in some of her reincarnated wife's clothing, Mana was a forest green-eyed ball of energy with long, slightly spiky, dark brown hair. Since her arrival, the young woman had been cheerfully glomping on to every person in turn, exchanging greetings and then releasing them to move on to the next person in range.

Following her exuberant entrance had been the married couple of Mahaado and Kisara. Mahaado was an imposing man who stood just a couple inches shorter than Seth. He carried himself with a serious air that everyone around him seemed to delight in disrupting. Pegasus got the impression that the young man was far more serious than he was needed or expected to behave. Atem had introduced him as the Black Magician, the most powerful natural magic wielder in the history of their kingdom. The handsome man still garbed in his purple battle armor and carrying a long, teal staff, had dark gray eyes that seemed to be constantly scanning for signs of trouble. It wasn't until his wife came over and sat on his lap that he changed into his less formal robes and Pegasus was able to see the young man's long dark brown hair.

Then there was Mahaado's wife Kisara, who was an enigma in herself. Egyptian born like the others, she strangely possessed pale white skin and long, bright white hair, while her eyes were a deep, vibrant blue. Apparently, this was a reflection of her dragon form: a large powerful beast with pure white scales and deep blue eyes. Looking at her it was hard to believe that such a slight and delicate woman was one of Egypt's most powerful warriors.

The Atlanteans were an equally fascinating group. The three knights were dragon-type shape shifters like Kisara and according to Dartz, were the greatest warriors of Atlantis. Though each man possessed a similar serious aura like Mahaado, not one of them seemed quite as rigid as the magician. Strangely, the three men bore striking resemblances to some of the Egyptians.

Timaeus had red hair that fell in long spikes down his back, with short spiky bangs in front that framed his angular blue-violet eyes. Or eye rather. The Atlantean knight had apparently suffered a severe injury at some point; one that had robbed him of his right eye and left a deep vertical scar over it that crossed down to just above his cheek. His features bore a striking resemblance to Atem's, so close that if one were to change his pale skin for an Egyptian tan, he would probably be mistaken for a relative of the Pharaoh's. (That and he stood a full head taller than the pharaoh.)

Critias stood a little taller than Timaeus and had shoulder-length, sandy blond hair, with bangs cut neatly above his gray-violet eyes and could easily be mistaken as Seto Kaiba's previously unknown older brother.

Then there was third knight, Hermos, who was shorter than Critias but taller then Timaeus and had bright yellow eyes and messy, light brown hair. Forgiving the hair and eye color, he could be mistaken for Katsuya Jonouchi's long-lost twin.

Last was probably the most surprising of the lot. Running about the tent in play, the Atlantean princess, Chris was someone Pegasus had never dreamed of seeing. When no records had been found of the little girl's fate, he simply assumed that the child had either been killed with the others or smuggled out by palace staff and sent into hiding.

After all the surprises he'd been handed today, seeing the little girl and her parents interact made all the stress and worry he was going through feel worthwhile.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Skipping across the tent, Yuugi took hold of one of Mahaado's hands in an attempt to drag him away from the wall to sit down. Now that he had gotten a sufficient amount of sleep, the small teen was eager to learn as much as possible from the tall mage whom he now knew to be the inspiration behind his favorite Duel Monster. The purple armor-clad _ms-n hwi_ did attempt to put up some form of resistance, but quickly found himself melting under the devastating force of Yuugi's amethyst "chibi" eyes. 'By the gods, how can he retain such power?' the man railed to himself as he was lead to a seat next to the pharaoh and his light.

Yuugi on the other hand, was practically bouncing in his chair in his excitement. He'd always wanted to meet someone who could do "real" magic and while he knew that he and Atem had Shadow magic, Mahaado was the "Black Magician". Plus, he had grown up with his darkness, so was sure to have some great stories from their childhood.

The mage was about to make one last ditch attempt to escape when his lovely mate joined them. Magically changing his hard battle armor into the much more comfortable linen robes, the slender, delicate-seeming Kisara seated herself on her husband's lap and leaned back against his chest. Stifling a sigh of defeat, he smiled a bit nervously at his Pharaoh's light and resigned himself to breaking the unwritten rules to body-guarding.

((Beloved, at times you are far too formal,)) his lovely wife chided him, knowing that inside his mind, her powerful husband was rolling his eyes at her even as he carefully answered Yuugi's question.

Seated next to Yuugi, their pharaoh was having a great deal of difficulty not showing his amusement. Mahaado had always been far too serious for his own good, even when they were children, but he seemed to have met his match in Yuugi and Kisara.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Nearby, Hanasaki was trying to explain to his daughter what had happened after he'd hid her and why things were so different from before. After a couple of aborted attempts, the frustrated teen's gaze fell on Seto and he got an idea.

"Chris, you remember Seth's light, Seto don't you?" he asked his little girl.

She nodded vigorously, her new pigtails bobbing with the motion, "Uh-huh, he's the little boy with the pretty blue eyes," she answered.

Tomoya smiled, "Well, you remember how your father and I told you that me and the other lights had to be born again?" Receiving an affirmative nod he continued, "Well, this time we all got born really close together." he said before calling Kaiba over to them.

"Kaiba-kun, I'd like you to meet my daughter Chris. Chris, this is Seth's light, Seto Kaiba," the orange-haired teen introduced them again for the first time in three thousand years.

Kaiba nodded politely while Chris stared up at the tall teen. Despite being only nine, she was a very smart little girl and it didn't take long for her to recognize the adorable boy in the face and eyes of the handsome teen.

"Wow Seto, you got really tall!" she exclaimed, staring up at her former friend in surprise.

Smiling, he reached down and ruffled her brunette hair fondly, "Maybe you'll get lucky and take after your father more. Then you'll be tall too." He told the girl, smirking at the now-fuming, bespectacled teen that was her "mother's" reincarnation. Oblivious to his subtle insult to her "mother", Chris beamed happily at him, her gray eyes sparkling in delight as she watched him leave to rejoin his lovers. Off to the side, the three knights: Timeaus, Criteaus, and Hermos were all struggling not to laugh at the "little priest's" subtle joke at the other light's expense.

Despite his irritation at having been the victim of yet another short joke, Tomoya was relieved that his daughter understood and appeared to be okay with all the changes. Now all that remained was introducing his extended family to his current one.

"Uh-oh," the teen muttered out loud, imagining his parents' reactions.

"What's wrong?" father and daughter asked in unison, worried by the distressed expression on the gray-eyed teen's face.

He sighed heavily, "I was just thinking about when I'll have to introduce you to my mom and dad . . . and they are not going to believe any of this."

Dartz wrapped an arm around his shoulders comfortingly, "I'm sure it will be all right, my love. I will be right there beside you when you introduce us."

"Yeah but . . ." he trailed off, picking up the conversation through their mind link so as not to upset Chris. ((You don't understand! Same sex relationships aren't accepted everywhere! I don't even know if my parents will even want me around after I tell them!))

((Calm yourself beloved. It does not matter what they say or do. I will always love you and will remain at your side from now until the end of our lives and into the afterlife. And if they choose to sever ties from you, then they will never know the precious love of their granddaughter or any of the other children we will have.)) He assured his light, pressing a kiss to his brow.

"You know," Tomoya said out loud, "Even if they accept the fact that I'm gay. Explaining that I'm the soul mate and husband to the last king of Atlantis, gave birth to our ten year-old daughter over three thousand years ago, and have three over protective knights guarding us all is going to be impossible to convince them of."

Dartz laughed happily and hugged his lover, "I'm sure we will find a way."

"Daddy's right Mommy! We'll convince Grandma and Grandpa no matter what!" Chris cheered, hugging the dark gray-eyed teen around his waist.

Hugging his daughter back, Tomoya tilted his head up to give his darkness a kiss on the cheek. "You're both right. I should try and think positive about this."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Eventually the idle chitchat died down and the three ancient darkness brought up the subject of deciding which of their fellow yami's should be released next.

"I recommend Bakura. He's next in power and will probably be in the worst mood of all of us. Then depending on how long it takes to get him calm and explain everything, we can release either Otogi or Marik," Seth suggested, knowing that strategically these were their best choices.

"Otogi," Atem answered with no hesitation.

"Why?" Dartz asked as, not having lived with the two men in question, was curious as to the other men's reasoning.

Atem shook his head wryly, "You're better off not knowing. Suffice it to say that throughout our lives, whenever Bakura and Marik were both around, only his older sister Isis and her mate stood a chance at reining them in.

Gold eyes blinked in surprise, "I see."

Noting the resigned expressions on both Jou and Anzu's faces made Yuugi, Hanasaki, Pegasus, and Cynthia all quite curious and apprehensive about what the following twenty-four hours would bring. And while they all had questions and concerns, it was Yuugi that brought up the most important question.

"Jonouchi-kun? Who is Bakura's hikari?" he asked, his wide, amethyst eyes filled with concern. He thought that a light and darkness were born for each other, but from the way they all were talking . . .

The blond teen grinned and started shaking his head, "Ryou is. And knowing them both I can honestly say that I'm not sure who's going to have more trouble or which one I should feel sorry for."

Anzu rolled her eyes and smacked the blond on the head, "Baka! Quit making Yuugi worry! Ryou and Bakura are _akhu_ and _kkwy_. They're already perfect for each other! It's anyone else they might come across that will have any trouble." she finished on a knowing smirk.

"Oh boy," Yuugi sighed, shaking his head.

-

November 25, 2008  
-edited May 26, 2009

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o


	15. Chapter 15

Title: Retrieving Destiny  
Part: 15/23  
Author: Murasaki Rose  
Beta: none  
Genre: Romance/Fantasy/AU  
Rating: R  
Spoilers: Yami Yuugi's real name  
Warnings: Yaoi (male x male), Yuri (female x female), implied Mpreg  
Pairings: YYxY, SxJxS, DxT, YBxR, YMxM, HxO, PxC, IxM  
Minor Pairings: BMGxA, BMxK, TxCxH  
Disclaimer: Here we go. Yu-Gi-Oh and all its characters are the property of Kazuki Takahashi, Shueisha, Konami, Toei, and unfortunately, 4 Kids Entertainment. In other words, I don't own them and I'm not making any money off of this, I'm just a fangirl having some fun.  
A/N: "text" = speech, 'text' = thought, ((text)) = telepathy

Summary: While assisting his grandfather on an excavation in Egypt for their senior class trip, Yuugi and his friends unleash seven powerful beings from their millennia-long imprisonment. These strange creatures, who call themselves "darkness", will bring about a series of life-changing events for the close-knit group of teenagers.

2, 325 words | 2nd draft - 2,509 words

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Yuugi fidgeted as he walked alongside his lover; trying to come up with a tactful way to bring up the thing he wanted to ask Atem. The thought had struck him during breakfast and had simply not let go. Mostly because it was something that he felt had been delayed for far too long. It simply had to be done. So the small teen decided to start subtly by leading his darkness through camp in the general direction of their final destination.

Atem, sensing his light's apprehension, gently prodded the teen for an explanation. Wondering silently what could be bothering the teen so much.

"Ano, Atem koi . . . You remember how I mentioned that I live with my Grandpa, right?" he asked, drawing in a calming breath.

Atem nodded.

Yuugi exhaled and smiled nervously, "Weeeelllll, you see . . . he's also the reason that me and my friends were all able to go on this trip. `Cause he said it'd be good for our futures and all . . . and you see . . . he'sheretoo." the amethyst-eyed boy finished in a rush, casting a worried glance up at his lover.

Blinking crimson eyes in surprise, Atem didn't quite know what to say to that statement. He knew that eventually he would be meeting Yuugi's family, but had not expected it to be so soon. As he struggled to come up with some sort of reply, they were both saved any further awkwardness by a delighted voice crying out in greeting.

"Yuugi, my boy!"

"Grandpa!" running over to where the elderly man had just exited his tent, Yuugi leapt onto his grandfather, hugging him with all four limbs (1).

"Have you and your friends been having fun?" he asked the exuberant teen, after Yuugi let go of course.

"Uhn!" Yuugi nodded vigorously, "Probably not as much fun as you though!" he stated, knowing his grandfather's passion for archaeology. "Pegasus-san has had us doing all kinds of cool stuff and look-!" he held the Sennen puzzle up to his Grandfather's gaze. "I finished this a couple nights ago!"

"There's nothing you can't solve is there?" Sugoroku said proudly, admiring both the puzzle's craftsmanship and his grandson's hard work. Catching the teenager's eyes he noticed the boy's bright grin had faded into a shy, nervous smile, "Is something wrong Yuugi?"

Shaking his head and taking a deep breath, Yuugi decided to plunge in headfirst, "I brought someone over here to meet you," he said, scuffing at the ground with one foot.

One gray eyebrow raised as the elderly man regarded his grandson, "Oh? Did you make a new friend?"

"Ah, something like that," the teen replied softly, gesturing for Atem to come over, unaware that his mate had been staring at his grandfather in mute shock the whole time.

"_bw-nfr duat i per-Aa_ (2)!" Sugoroku greeted the now dumbstruck darkness and shocking Yuugi in the process.

"Siamun?" the crimson-eyed teen whispered in shocked disbelief.

Sugoroku nodded and gestured for both boys to follow him back inside, this was a conversation best kept private. Once they were inside, Atem cast the same sound spell he had just a few days ago before anyone dared to speak.

Staring at the reincarnation of the man who had helped raise him and the one who had introduced him to his precious light for the first time, he found himself struggling to say something, anything. Finally, the young pharaoh managed to ask, "How . . ?"

Sitting down and making himself comfortable, the elder Mutou gestured for the two teens to do the same before beginning his explanation. "From the time I was a teenager, I had dreamt of Egypt. The memories and events of a life once lived slowly unfolding every night in my mind, weaving a long and eventful tale that ended in tragedy.

I put these memories aside and tried to live my life normally . . . until history tragically repeated itself and I was once again left with the responsibility of naming and raising my only grandson. From the moment I first held him, I recognized his bright soul immediately and named him "Yuugi", the Japanese equivalent of "Heba".

Not knowing why I had been blessed in such a way, I believed it to be a sign from the gods. You see, in my earlier research I had come across the legend of the Sennen items and knew that all of you were still sealed away. I felt that Yuugi's rebirth signaled the coming of the time when you would finally be released. A belief that increased greatly when I started meeting Yuugi's friends from school, it was quite a shock to see so many familiar faces once again!

When I learned of Pegasus' search I arranged to meet him. Once I had, I realized that he and his wife were _kkwy_ and _akhu_, which was the very reason he began his own search and so I chose to assist him as much as possible. Then, when he found all the items, I helped to arrange things so that all of the reincarnated _akhu_ and _ms-n hwi_ would come on this trip."

"You knew this whole time and you didn't tell me?" Yuugi exclaimed indignantly, pouting and crossing his arms sulkily.

"Would you have believed me?" the old man countered, knowing the teen's answer without even asking.

Grumbling to himself, Yuugi didn't dignify the other with a reply, he couldn't believe his grandfather! His internal rant and outward sulking cutting off when he felt the flow of calming emotions coming from his mate as Atem picked him up and placed him in his lap to help soothe his ire. Wrapping his arms around the smaller teen, the former pharaoh pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek then buried his face in Yuugi's spiky, magenta-tipped, black locks.

Yuugi squeaked and attempted to protest, ((Atem! We haven't told Grandpa about us yet!))

((Beloved, he remembers his life as Siamun and he brought you here to find me. In your first life, he brought you to meet me on the day you were born, knowing that you were my light. I'm sure he already knows about us.))

Blinking in surprise at his mate's explanation, Yuugi turned to look at his grandfather, relieved to see that his darkness was right: His grandfather didn't look the least bit surprised. If anything he looked rather pleased at seeing them together. Sighing in defeat, Yuugi snuggled comfortably into Atem's embrace, "Anything else I should know that you haven't told me?"

Sugoroku laughed.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

((Soon, _antyw akhu_ . . .))

Walking next to Malik, Ryou stopped suddenly, his head whipping around as though he was trying to find something . . . 'It's that voice again!'

"Something the matter, Ryou?" Malik asked, when he noticed the other teen had stopped.

Shaking his head, Ryou smiled at the lavender-eyed Egyptian. "No. I just thought I heard someone."

Malik blinked at Ryou in confusion, "I didn't hear anything."

"It's nothing, it must be my imagination," Ryou replied, walking after the other teen.

Concerned for his friend, Malik gave him a level stare, "Have you been getting enough sleep lately?"

"Yeah. I have been having some weird dreams though lately," the silver-haired teen admitted.

"Weird like possible past life kind of weird or weird like swimming pool filled with chocolate pudding weird?" Malik asked seriously, getting an odd look from the brown-eyed teen.

"You've dreamed of a swimming pool filled with chocolate pudding?" Ryou asked in return, one silver eyebrow raised at the other boy.

"Maaaayyybe," the tanned teen drawled, grinning mischievously at the other teen. "Whether I have or haven't doesn't answer my question about you though."

"Possible past life," Ryou answered, his expression going distant. "In the dreams, I'm never older than maybe eight years-old and they always take place either in an ancient Egyptian palace or the town and land around it . . . the really odd thing is that there are people with wings and people who can do magic. Some of them are people I know now and I've even seen someone that looks like a younger version of you, Malik-kun. But the person I remember the most, the one my dream-self is always happiest to see is so . . dark. He's taller than I am and has jagged cut, shoulder-length silver hair, narrow russet eyes, and a scar on the right side of his face that has a long vertical slash, with two horizontal lines across it and he's also almost always wearing a dark red coat."

"Does he have wings too?"

"Yeah," Ryou stated breathily, "They're beautiful, huge, black bat wings, with a silver shine along the bottom edge. And he's just so strong and clever and kami is he gorgeous!"

Malik started snickering at his Japanese friend, "Sounds like you're falling in love with this guy," he teased.

Sighing dramatically, Ryou shook his head sadly. "I swear there's just no justice in the world, Malik-kun. If there was this guy would be real and not some figment of my imagination."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

In spite of what he'd said to Malik, Ryou didn't think the voice he'd heard was in his head. Okay, so technically it was in his head, but he knew he wasn't going crazy and he didn't think that he was imagining things either. He'd heard that same husky voice twice before since they'd arrived here: the first time was when he had been sitting on the rock outcropping outside of camp and the second time was when Pegasus gave him the Sennen Ring. That time the voice had said 'I've been waiting for you, little light.' and was a bit louder than the first time. But this last time . . . this last time, the voice had been so loud that Ryou was sure the man was standing right next to him!

Feeling a familiar, strange prickling at the back of his neck, Ryou turned around to look and once again, no one was there. 'Argh! This is getting ridiculous!' he thought to himself, shaking his head in frustration. This weird feeling of being watched had been going on all day! Everywhere he went; he felt those eyes on him but could never spot anyone who might be a likely culprit. His only respite had been when he'd gone to use the restroom but that had ended the instant he was back outside.

He probably should have told someone about it, whether they believed him or not. Strangely enough, he didn't feel threatened by the presence at all. If anything, he felt comfortable around it and just wanted whoever or whatever it was to come out and face him directly!

((Heh. Heh. Heh.))

"Oh for Heaven's sake!" the boy exclaimed in frustration, startling the workers nearby. Blushing in embarrassment, the teen ducked his head and muttered an apology as he quickly exited the wall-less cleaning tent to go collect the next batch of items. 'Great, just great,' he thought to himself, 'now every one's going to thing I'm a complete nut case!' Ryou thought venomously scowling in irritation, although with his face it looked more like he was pouting. 'I hope you're pleased with yourself,' he growled mentally, hoping that his stalker could hear him.

'Oh I am little light, I am.'

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

'Oh I am little light, I am,' Bakura thought to himself, indeed feeling quite pleased with himself. He'd been following his beautiful hikari around the camp since that morning while managing to avoid the boy's detection at the same time. To his immense delight, his light was aware of his presence, but was still unable to actually find him.

From the moment his gentle Rasui had arrived at the camp, Bakura had known he was there. In fact it was the very presence of his light that had awakened him from his three millennia-long slumber. Twice before he was released, the ancient infiltrator had managed to speak to his light fleetingly, but had been far too weak to maintain contact with him.

When he had been released earlier that morning, Bakura had had to fight the urge to run off immediately and fetch his light. By the time the others had finished explaining their current situation, he was glad he had remained. Like Dartz, he too had gone into his prison with the knowledge that his light was dead, although he had the slight advantage of not having formed a complete bond with his young _akhu_. Learning that three thousand years had passed since their imprisonment had been quite a shock, but like the others, Bakura felt reassured by the very presence of his reincarnated light, one who was now old enough to complete the bond they were robbed of so long ago.

After a final warning from his Pharaoh not to make a scene or let anyone outside of those assembled, other than his light, know that he was anything but human; the others had dispersed, leaving the spy to his own devices.

Tucking in his wings and heading out into the camp, Bakura had quickly tracked down his light and began to simply observe the boy. He wasn't surprised to find him spending most of his time with Marik's light, something they had done frequently as children, and couldn't resist teasing the teen just a little. Following his light, he also observed Atem and Dartz, the great Pharaoh of Khemet and the King of Atlantis, performing menial tasks and physical labor along side their lights had been quite shocked at first, but he supposed he shouldn't have been surprised. They were, after all, pretending to be normal humans there to assist in this "dig" and by joining their lights in the work, could protect and keep close to them at the same time.

Later, when Ryou was heading out to learn his task for the day, Bakura couldn't resist speaking with him. ((Soon, _antyw akhu_ . . .)) he had sent to the boy, watching with amusement as the teen's head jerked around trying to locate him. Watching the boy's flustered and annoyed reactions was far too entertaining. Of course, he was further rewarded for his tailing efforts when he heard the slender teen admit that not only had he been dreaming of his past, but that he found Bakura attractive! That tidbit of information alone made his very spirit lighter and his entire being even more eager to complete their bond.

As the day progressed, the darkness continued to follow his light around, at one point allowing a bit of laughter to bleed through to the shorter and now very frustrated, male. Deciding to give the teen some peace he went silent, simply drinking in the vision of his light and as was the nature of his profession, absorbing any and all information he could. As night fell, the tall darkness was ready to reveal himself to his light and slipped away to the boy's tent to prepare for the teen's arrival.

-

November 27, 2008  
-edited May 26, 2009

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

1 - Yuugi Mutou the human suction cup! He did it in Capsule Monsters, he can do it here.

2 - Good morning my pharaoh!


	16. Chapter 16

Once again the lemony content from edited chapters can be found at Mediaminer, AFF, or Little Dragon. ^_~*

* * *

Title: Retrieving Destiny  
Part: 16/23  
Author: Murasaki Rose  
Beta: none  
Genre: Romance/Fantasy/AU  
Rating: R  
Spoilers: Yami Yuugi's real name  
Warnings: Yaoi (male x male), Yuri (female x female), implied Mpreg  
Pairings: YYxY, SxJxS, DxT, YBxR, YMxM, HxO, PxC, IxM  
Minor Pairings: BMGxA, BMxK, TxCxH  
Disclaimer: Here we go. Yu-Gi-Oh and all its characters are the property of Kazuki Takahashi, Shueisha, Konami, Toei, and unfortunately, 4 Kids Entertainment. In other words, I don't own them and I'm not making any money off of this, I'm just a fangirl having some fun.  
A/N: "text" = speech, 'text' = thought, ((text)) = telepathy

Summary: While assisting his grandfather on an excavation in Egypt for their senior class trip, Yuugi and his friends unleash seven powerful beings from their millennia-long imprisonment. These strange creatures, who call themselves "darkness", will bring about a series of life-changing events for the close-knit group of teenagers.

2,302 words | 2nd draft - 2,342 words

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Having felt somewhat harassed by the frustratingly elusive presence all day, Ryou was both surprised and relieved when it suddenly left after after dinner. Confused and a little disappointed, the silver-haired teen had shaken it off and settled in to enjoy the festivities with his friends.

"Looks like Anzu's made a friend," Malik commented, tilting his head in the direction of the brunette teen. She was seated next to Yuugi with an enthusiastic, forest green-eyed Egyptian girl curled against her side. The three of them were watching intently as Atem and Yuugi's grandfather engaged in an intense game of Senet (1).

"Hmm, I don't remember seeing her before" Ryou replied, trying to figure out why the girl seemed so familiar to him.

Malik shrugged, "That's because you probably haven't. Rishid told me that their group arrived yesterday and spent pretty much the whole time getting briefed on their duties and other stuff."

"Oh, that explains it," Ryou replied absently, watching as Dartz' daughter Chris bounced over to Hanasaki to give him a hug, then skipped back off to play in a rush. The brown-eyed teen found it very strange and a bit disturbing that a man old enough to have a nine year-old child was romantically involved with his eighteen year-old friend. But Hanasaki-kun didn't seem to be bothered by the age difference and was clearly enjoying the older man's attention. Why the gray-eyed teen wasn't bothered that Chris kept calling him "Mommy" was anyone's guess, but only Ryou, Malik, Honda, and Mai-san seemed to think it was odd.

Speaking of Honda . . . "Have you seen Honda-kun lately?" he asked his lavender-eyed friend.

"I know he went looking for Seto and Jou not too long ago," the Egyptian teen laughed suddenly, "I bet he's somewhere trying to scrub the images from his eyes."

Ryou blinked at his friend in surprise before he had a revelation and began to laugh as well knowing Seto and Jou, Malik was probably right. "You may be right, Malik-kun," he said standing up. "Let's go over and watch Sugoroku ojiisan cream Atem-kun, huh?"

Malik slapped his hands on his knees and stood as well, "Sounds good to me!"

The rest of his evening passed quickly and while Ryou thought he saw a few more familiar yet at the same time unfamiliar faces in the crowd but he just chalked it up to the sheer number of people working at the site. Though some of the familiar ones did give him friendly smiles in passing that had him wondering if they'd met somewhere before hand.

Happy and tired, he stumbled into his tent completely unprepared for what was waiting for him inside . . .

"_Ii hsi antyw nfr akhu_ (2)," Bakura greeted the teen, sealing off the tent from both sound and intrusion. He had no intentions of letting Ryou escape, or of having anyone interrupt them. While the teen had been out relaxing with his friends, the silver-haired darkness had been using the time to prepare Ryou's tent, first making the interior larger than the exterior before creating a comfortable and sensually appealing atmosphere, complete with incense, a hedonistically comfortable bed, and soft lighting from magically lit lamps.

'Welcome to my parlor,' Ryou thought nervously, staring in awe at the gorgeous man coming over to him. It was the man from his dreams! Every detail, from the deep, husky voice to the huge, black bat wings was standing right in front of him wearing nothing but a long, red cloak, knee length shenti, a pair of sturdy leather sandals, and gold bracers on his arms and lower legs.

A confused Bakura watched as the pale teen pinched his arm hard and yelped, then began shaking as he stared wide-eyed at the darkness in front of him. 'Oh my God, I AM awake. I'm not dreaming, he really is here. I can't believe this!" Ryou panicked, curling forward and grabbing fistfuls of his long hair.

Concerned by his light's sudden panic, Bakura grabbed the still shaking teen and drew him into his arms, delivering a fierce kiss to the teen's trembling lips. Feeling the boy relax just a fraction he began scattering soft kisses across the teen's forehead, his eyelids, then skimming across his cheekbones and down to his chin before returning to his soft, pink lips. Feeling the teen relax completely, Bakura moved one arm down to wrap it around Ryou's slim waist and the other one up to tangle his fingers in the soft silver strands of Ryou's hair at the base of his neck.

Ryou literally purred at the touch, arching his body against the taller man's and releasing his hair to wrap his own arms tightly around Bakura's broad back. Deciding that explanations could wait until later, Bakura slipped the hand on Ryou's waist under the teen's shirt, eagerly exploring the warm skin beneath. Ryou hummed his approval, opening his mouth to let his tongue slip out and lap delicately at the firm lips pressing against his own.

Surprised and delighted, Bakura granted the teen entrance, welcoming his light's inquisitive tongue with his own and engaging the boy in a sensual dance between the two oral muscles. Taking a chance that Ryou might tense up again, Bakura removed his hand from Ryou's hair and slid it down his back until it came to rest on one firm, lightly curved buttock. Ryou made a slight, sharp inhale but made no protest, instead moving his own hands up Bakura's shoulders to slip them under his cloak.

It was Bakura's turn to purr as delicate hands caressed his shoulders while pushing his cloak out of the way, smiling against his mouth as the teen made a muffled irritated noise when the garment caught in the crook of the darkness' arms. Pulling away from his impatient light, Bakura finished removing his coat for the teen who smiled mischievously as he pulled his shirt over his head, tossing his long silver hair about and giving his darkness a sexy grin.

Ryou didn't know what had come over him, never in his life had he ever imagined himself behaving in such a bold manner, especially with someone that previously had only been a character in his dreams. But from the moment the man's lips had touched his, Ryou had felt something in him shift, the same part of his very soul that told him that this man was the source of the comforting/annoying feelings he had been experiencing all day, had instantly told him that this man was HIS. Then Ryou's teenage libido had promptly picked up on the urge to claim the other man as his own in EVERY way and the teen found himself reacting to even the lightest touch in an amorous and aggressive nature.

Growling in his arousal, Bakura scooped his sexy light up into his arms, making the teen giggle happily and dropped him onto the plush bed, pouncing right on top of the boy. Ryou reached up eagerly, pulling himself up with one arm around Bakura's neck and stretching the other to stroke the length of Bakura's wing from the base all the way up to the clawed joint and back down again to rub against the base.

"By the gods!" Bakura groaned, all but collapsing on top of his light, his face buried in the other's shoulder. The smaller teen's eagerness to explore having led him to one of the most sensitive places on a _kkwy_'s, _akhu_'s, or _ms-n hwi_'s body. Ryou blinked in surprise at the larger male's intense reaction, then grinned, realizing that he'd found a very, very good place. Filing the information away for later, the slender teen slowed his touch before finally moving his hand back to Bakura's other shoulder, allowing the other male to regain his control. Giving his mischievous light a sharp nip to the crook of his neck, one which unexpectedly earned him a coo in response, Bakura lifted his head to smirk down at the teen. "Still as curious and eager to learn as ever, aren't you?" he asked to the confusion of the brown-eyed teen. He wasn't allowed to dwell on it long though as an eager Bakura lowered himself to rest his body flush against Ryou's before he took claim of the boy's mouth once again. Ryou moaned happily into his mouth, curling his tongue around Bakura's in a lazy duel. Bakura's hands slid down to Ryou's waist and began working at the fastening of the teen's pants, resisting the urge to smirk when he felt Ryou's slender hands doing the same with the belt holding his shenti in place. After a few moments of frustrating fumbling, Bakura grew tired of attempting to remove Ryou's pants but, unwilling to separate from the boy, simply removed both the pants and his own shenti with magic. Ryou squeaked in surprise as his hands suddenly came in contact with warm skin, but he quickly recovered to take advantage of this new development, giggling happily as his hands smoothed over the yami's firm backside. Bakura smirked at his happy little hikari, allowing the teen to have his fun before reminding him that HE was missing his pants too.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

As their releases washed over them in unison and unable to hold himself up any longer, Bakura collapsed bonelessly on top of the teen.

"Th-that was . . was a-amazing-" Ryou panted heavily, stopping when he suddenly realized something important.

"Bakura," the darkness above him answered before he could ask.

"Hmm, Bakura," Ryou repeated the other's name, liking how it rolled off his tongue. "I'm Ryou, Ryou Masayume (3)."

Bakura chuckled, pressing lazy kisses to the teen's pale throat, "It's good to meet you Ryou," he purred the teen's name out. Smirking, he rolled onto his back taking the startled light with him and laughing at the boy's pouting face. Leaning up he took the teen's protruding lower lip between his teeth and gave a gentle tug before closing his own lips around it and sucking. Ryou moaned and ground his returning arousal against the other male's hard flat stomach. Behind him, the transparent pair of pure white "angel" wings with silver edging along the bottom that Ryou had just sprouted spread into a dominant stance indicating an impending change in attitude.

-

November 28, 2008  
-edited May 26, 2009

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

1 - Chess-like game played in Ancient Egypt

2 - welcome back, my beautiful light; Ancient Egyptian


	17. Chapter 17

Same rules as before for the lemony fun! ^_^

* * *

Title: Retrieving Destiny  
Part: 17/23  
Author: Murasaki Rose  
Beta: none  
Genre: Romance/Fantasy/AU  
Rating: R  
Spoilers: Yami Yuugi's real name  
Warnings: Yaoi (male x male), Yuri (female x female), implied Mpreg  
Pairings: YYxY, SxJxS, DxT, YBxR, YMxM, HxO, PxC, IxM  
Minor Pairings: BMGxA, BMxK, TxCxH  
Disclaimer: Here we go. Yu-Gi-Oh and all its characters are the property of Kazuki Takahashi, Shueisha, Konami, Toei, and unfortunately, 4 Kids Entertainment. In other words, I don't own them and I'm not making any money off of this, I'm just a fangirl having some fun.  
A/N: "text" = speech, 'text' = thought, ((text)) = telepathy

Summary: While assisting his grandfather on an excavation in Egypt for their senior class trip, Yuugi and his friends unleash seven powerful beings from their millennia-long imprisonment. These strange creatures, who call themselves "darkness", will bring about a series of life-changing events for the close-knit group of teenagers.

2,227 words | 2nd draft - 2,361 words

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Staring up at his light, Bakura recognized the dominant stance immediately and relaxed his body, grinning in anticipation. His beautiful mate had been full of surprises so far making him quite eager to experience what the teenager had in store for him.

Ryou honestly didn't know what had come over him. One minute, he had been relaxing in the after glow, content to be held and maybe even take a nap. The next, Bakura had rolled him on top and when he had looked down the sudden need to claim the gorgeous man below him as his own became overwhelming. At first, he thought that the larger and more dominant Bakura would fight him for it, but he was pleasantly surprised when the man lay back and relaxed beneath him.

Tossing caution to the wind and his long, silver hair back over his shoulders, Ryou ran the palms of hands down Bakura's chest, raking his blunt nails gently down the surface. Smoothing his palms back up, the lithe teen shifted from his position between the darkness' legs to straddling his waist. Then, feeling unusually bold and brazen, Ryou leant down and taking a page from Bakura's book, latched onto the sensitive flesh at the junction of the man's neck and shoulder, nipping sharply first then sucking hard, determined to leave a mark on the other.

Bakura growled his pleasure to the teen, tilting his head to the side in order to give the boy better access to his chosen spot. He couldn't help but moan when Ryou pulled away and began laving the bruised flesh with his tongue. 'By the gods the boy has good instincts!' Bakura thought, unconsciously raising his shoulder towards Ryou's hungry lips and tongue. Once again, Ryou surprised him by sliding delicate hands up to grip his shoulders, not pushing him down but simply holding him in place. Almost as though the teen wanted to remind him of his dominance without forcing the issue.

Finally satisfied, Ryou moved on, blazing a fiery wet trail with his lips teeth and tongue, once more very much like Bakura had done to him. This time though, Ryou stopped at one of the yami's nipples and took the hardened nub between his curious lips and this time with lips and hands pressed against the powerful chest, Ryou felt the other's sharp, silent inhale and gently took the sensitive nub between his teeth, nibbling the taut bud while licking it with firm strokes from his agile tongue. When he was satisfied with the level of hardness, the light moved on to the other with a parting nip to the sensitized bud before attacking the yami's other nipple in the same fashion as the first.

Reaching his hands up, Bakura buried them into the long, silky, silver strands of Ryou's hair, letting his fingers drift through the soft locks, then bringing his hands up to stroke the teen's scalp and neck in a soothing, kneading motion. Ryou purred against the larger male's chest, releasing the captive nipple to give an appreciative coo, then pressing soft kisses to the tanned chest. Gentle hands came into play again, now tracing the dips and curves of the darkness' well-built chest and abs.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

In another bed a couple tents over, a medium-sized pair of pale green bird wings with white tips, folded themselves to protectively cover both their tall brunet owner and the slender ebony-haired male beneath him as they settled in to a deep slumber. The mated pair had began their own activities some time earlier after a lengthy explanation and some seduction from the smaller of the two . . .

*_Flashback_*

Otogi watched eagerly as his beloved Hondo reluctantly wound his way through the tents towards Seto and Jou's. The pale, lithe darkness knew where and why his reincarnated mate was heading, but planned on interrupting his self-appointed task for more than one reason. Having walked in on Seth and Jono's off-duty "activities" more than once, Otogi could only imagine the trauma that walking in on all three of them would cause. Especially since his hikari was not aware of Seth's presence yet.

Spreading his medium-sized red wings, the slender darkness launched into the air, moving through the shadows to intercept his light. Just as he reached the larger male, he burst out of the shadows, grabbed hold of the teen and vanished back into them, Honda in tow. Then taking them back to the teen's tent he brought them both out of the shadows, dropping the larger male onto his bed.

Hazel eyes wide with shock, Honda watched dumbfounded as a lithe, pale-skinned man with long ebony hair tied into a pony tail, and medium sized, blood-red bat wings moved his hands in a series of gestures. When he finished he turned his startlingly bright emerald green eyes on the stunned teen seated on the bed.

"Wh-who are you?" Honda stuttered, drawing into a defensive crouch, "What are you?"

"I am _hm-ntr_ Otogi and what I am is your _kkwy_, your darkness," he answered smiling pleasantly at the teen.

"My what?!"

"I am your darkness and you are my _akhu_, my light," the lithe male explained patiently, having been warned his light would not only have no memories of their past but also no current knowledge of their kind. "As you can see, a darkness is not quite human. We have wings and can use Shadow magic, and have a much longer lifespan than humans do," Otogi continued, spreading his red wings for emphasis. "And each darkness has a soul mate, a light. Light's can also use magic, but do not get their wings until after the two have consummated their bond."

"And you think I'm your light?" Honda asked incredulously, his initial fear subsiding as disbelief started to take over.

"I do not think it, I know you are," Otogi answered with solid conviction, "An _akhu_ and _kkwy_ always know their soul mate from the moment they meet. Tell me, what exactly are you feeling about me?" he ended on a question.

Deciding to humor the odd, yet admittedly attractive male, Honda took an honest look at the other man and felt something . . . odd. Strangely, with fear and anger no longer a factor, the other unnamed emotion had reared it's ugly head and Honda couldn't deny that deep within his being, he wanted this stranger. And it wasn't just his hormones saying that either, there was something deep inside of him that kept telling that the man before him was HIS.

Knowing what the brunet was thinking, the ebony-haired darkness began walking over to his mate, hips swaying with every step. Shedding the wrap from his shoulder and chest left the yami clad in only his jewelry, knee-length shenti and leather sandals. Noting the mesmerized gaze he was getting from hazel eyes Otogi smirked, crawling onto the bed after his retreating light. He couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped him as his hikari crab-walked backwards until he lost his balance and fell flat on his back.

Honda scowled up at the slender male above him and opened his mouth to retort when his brain finally caught on to something odd. "What the hell happened to my bed?!" the hazel-eyed teen exclaimed in surprise and confusion.

Otogi couldn't help himself; he fell on top of the brunet male laughing wildly. Sometimes his mate was just too much! Finally getting control of himself, the darkness decided to make the most of his new position and stretched out across his hikari, resting his chin comfortably on the other's chest. "I made a few alterations," the green-eyed male purred, eyelids drooping invitingly, "the cot you had was far from adequate for any of our impending . . . activities."

Honda blinked at the other male's innuendo and struggled to keep himself from getting an erection. But God, the other male seemed to be able to turn him on with just a few words and a smile.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed by. We are _kkwy_ and _akhu_. It's natural for us to desire one another," the green-eyed man reassured his mate, slender fingers working on undoing the buttons of Honda's shirt. He leaned forward until his lips were a hairsbreadth apart from Honda's and whispered, "Let me show you how natural your feelings are." Pushing forward he closed that fractional distance, joining his mouth to the brunet's slightly open one. Taking advantage of the situation, the ebony-haired darkness pushed his tongue into the taller male's mouth to taste and explore, reveling in the wondrous taste of his soul mate. To his immense surprise and delight, he felt Honda come alive beneath him. Powerful arms wrapped tightly around his form, while one hand pressed against the small of his back and the other firmly cupped his buttocks. Honda's tongue became active as well, enthusiastically rising to meet his own and battling furiously for dominance . . .

*_End Flashback_*

Otogi yawned and snuggled closer to his protective mate, finally allowing sleep to come over him as he felt at peace for the first time in nearly three thousand years.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

When Bakura awoke some time later, it was still dark outside which confused him; he wasn't sensing anything dangerous so he should have slept until late morning. Searching for what had awakened him, he found Ryou perched on his bed, admiring his new wings with a child-like awe. This brought a chuckle from the darkness and Ryou's attention fully back on him.

"So you're finally awake then? I was beginning to think you were going to sleep until morning," Ryou teased the older male.

Bakura smirked at his beautiful light, "I apologize, _antyw akhu_, but I was exhausted from our earlier activities."

Giggling, Ryou stood and carefully made his way back over to Bakura. The yami was impressed at how well his light walked with the added weight from the large wings on his back, the teen wobbled a bit, but he did not fall. Standing and grabbing the teen's waist when he got close enough, Bakura helped him sit without hurting his wings and got him settled in comfortably.

"I guess I should start with what we are," the darkly tanned male began. "I am what you would call a "yami" in your language and you are a "hikari". Yami and hikari are always born with an opposing soul mate whom they will desire to be with from the moment they meet. A desire that begins as innocent as the love of family, but when both are physically mature, morphs into a sexual desire. You _antyw akhu_ are the reincarnation of my soul mate Rasui, though you are much older than when we were last together. In the past you died years before you were old enough for us to complete our bond as we did tonight."

Ryou stared at him with wide eyes, "Then the dreams I've been having . . ."

"Are memories of your past trying to resurface," Bakura said, gently stroking Ryou's cheek. "I felt your death, my beloved light. They killed you in order to weaken and seal me." He hugged the boy tightly, "I will not let it happen again."

Ryou hugged him back, offering his lover comfort. "Can I do magic too?"

"Yes, my light. I will teach you after you've learned how to fly," Bakura reassured him.

Ryou nodded, not letting go of his darkness, "Good. Because I won't let anyone take us apart either," the teen promised, kissing his startled yami on the cheek.

Bakura recovered quickly and began to laugh heartily, "Never again. I'll teach you magic, teach you to fight, and together . . together we will protect each other. A united force that only a fool would dare oppose!"

Pleased that his darkness was willing to let him fight, Ryou joined in his joyous laughter. ((Together . . .))

((_Always, antyw nfr akhu._))

November 29, 2008  
-edited May 26, 2009

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o


	18. Chapter 18

I know, I know. It's been waaaaay too long since I last updated. Sorry about that. RL kinda swamped me and I forgot to upload. The good news is that in less than a week, I'll be writing the sequel for NaNoWriMo. (Although I might forget to upload occasionally. ^_^;)

* * *

Title: Retrieving Destiny  
Part: 18/23  
Author: Murasaki Rose  
Beta: none  
Genre: Romance/Fantasy/AU  
Rating: R  
Spoilers: Yami Yuugi's real name  
Warnings: Yaoi (male x male), Yuri (female x female), implied Mpreg  
Pairings: YYxY, SxJxS, DxT, YBxR, YMxM, HxO, PxC, IxM  
Minor Pairings: BMGxA, BMxK, TxCxH  
Disclaimer: Here we go. Yu-Gi-Oh and all its characters are the property of Kazuki Takahashi, Shueisha, Konami, Toei, and unfortunately, 4 Kids Entertainment. In other words, I don't own them and I'm not making any money off of this, I'm just a fangirl having some fun.  
A/N: "text" = speech, 'text' = thought, ((text)) = telepathy

Summary: While assisting his grandfather on an excavation in Egypt for their senior class trip, Yuugi and his friends unleash seven powerful beings from their millennia-long imprisonment. These strange creatures, who call themselves "darkness", will bring about a series of life-changing events for the close-knit group of teenagers.

2,126 words | 2nd draft - 2,283 words

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Yuugi-kun!"

The teen in question swiveled his head around just in time to be hit by a whirlwind of silver. Laughing giddily, Ryou tackled his small friend, grabbing the amethyst-eyed boy around the waist and spinning him around. "Arigato gozaimasu, Yuugi-kun!"

"Ryou-kun! Put me down!" the small teen cried out, trying hard not to laugh as he did so. "I'm getting dizzy!" he cried again, hoping he'd be set down before he got so dizzy he fell over. Still laughing, Ryou did as he asked, giving the smaller male another hug before bouncing back a bit, a huge smile on his face. "What's gotten into you?" he asked, suspecting he knew the answer already.

"Bakura," Ryou answered cheekily, wiggling his eyebrows at the other hikari.

Yuugi's eyes got impossibly wide as he stared in shock at his silver-haired friend, that was something he'd have expected Jonouchi to say! "It's always the quiet ones," he muttered mock sadly, shaking his head. On a hunch he poked the taller boy in the chest and hit solid metal. "You're wearing the Ring."

Ryou nodded, "Uh-huh. I figured it would attract less attention if I kept it under my shirt."

Yuugi nodded in agreement, "Good idea. I wish I could do the same with this thing," he said, hefting the Puzzle in his hands.

Ryou smiled sympathetically at his friend then decided to change the subject. "So we're doing research again today?"

"Yeah, it should just be the seven of us today. Pegasus-san is wanting to talk with our "others" and Mai-san will be doing categorizing."

"What about Malik-kun?" the silver-haired teen asked his friend.

"Oh! He's been commandeered for the day by his big brother Rishid. We probably won't even see him until dinner time."

"Poor Malik-kun."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Holed up in the archives the reincarnated hikari and _ms-n hwi_ had settled in to continue to search for information on the items they were all currently either wearing or carrying with them . . . for all of fifteen minutes.

To no one's surprise, it was Jonouchi that started it.

"So Yug' what do your new wings look like?" he finally asked the question he'd been dying to ask his best friend, grinning at the small teen.

Startled by the sudden question, the amethyst-eyed teen blinked owlishly at his best friend. "Wha-?"

"Your wings," he repeated. I know ya got em' since you completed the bond with _per-Aa_ Atem, but you haven't shown them to me yet."

Sighing Yuugi looked around at the rest of their friends, noticing the curious expressions on all their faces. "All right," he relented, standing up and moving to a spot where he wouldn't bang them against anything. "But everybody else has to show theirs too." After receiving a round of agreements from his friends and waiting long enough for Seto to lock the door, Yuugi took a deep breath and unfurled his wings.

To say Jonouchi was impressed would be a bit inadequate but close enough. Seeing the small teen's massive light gold wings was a clear indication that he was the pharaoh's light. The golden feathers shone with a metallic sheen under the lighting and the bottom row of feathers was a pure white, making it look like they were edged in the pale color. Each individual wing was easily bigger than the teen himself, and Jou guessed he had a good eleven-twelve foot wingspan. For one who had been magically trained, it was easy to see that Yuugi would be as powerful as his mate once he completed his own training.

"Well, what do you think Jonouchi-kun?" the small hikari asked, tired of the silent contemplation.

"They're gorgeous Yug'," he replied honestly. "And since ya showed yours . . " the blond stood as he spoke, stretching out his back before unfurling his own wings, "I'll show ya mine."

"Sugoi!" the teen squealed. "They look so cool!"

Jonouchi's bright crimson dragon wings stretched about thirteen feet from tip to tip and were slender in width with sharp claws at the joint and at the tip of each wing.

"Jonouchi-kun, are you a hikari too?" Ryou asked, a bit confused by the blond's wings, Jou didn't feel like a hikari or a yami.

"Nah, I'm a _ms-n hwi_. We're kinda like you guys, but we're not as powerful and we don't always have wings."

Anzu picked up the explanation after making her own light blue fairy wings visible, "We usually work as warriors, guardians, or priests and like Jonouchi said, we don't all have wings. Jou and I are part of the anthropomorphic group, of which there as many variations as there are animals in the world. Then there are two human-looking groups: magicians, like my wife Mana and her teacher Mahaado, and shape-shifters: like Kisara, Timaeus, Critias, and Hermos. You'll meet them later," she added catching the confused look on Ryou and Honda's faces.

"Anzu, your wings are really pretty," Yuugi told his oldest friend, admiring the shimmering appendages and noting that her wings were much smaller than his or Jonouchi's giving her a wingspan of just seven feet.

"Thank you, Yuugi. I'm glad you still like them," she replied happily.

"Still?"

She nodded cheerfully, "Yep! In our first life, when you were still a baby, you would stare at them in total fascination and were constantly trying to grab a hold of them when I was watching you." She told him, giggling when the poor teen blushed brightly in embarrassment.

"Don't be embarrassed Yuugi-kun. You were a very cute baby," Hanasaki told him, unfurling his own wings and stunning those who hadn't seen the unusual appendages of the former Atlantean. Hanasaki's wings were very unique, the large appendages seemed to be formed from a softly glowing water with an aqua iridescence that appeared to be in perpetual motion, and his wingspan was easily as wide as Yuugi's, indicating his own high level of power.

"Those things never fail ta amaze me," Jou told the little teen, Anzu nodding in agreement. The wings of the Atlantean royals were an impressive sight for anyone to see, especially when they were in flight. Hanasaki just blushed modestly in reply.

"C'mon Seto, show everybody yours," the blond encouraged his lover giving him a gentle nudge to his side.

Shrugging and giving a small sigh, the tall auburn-haired teen stood and stepped back from the table. Exhaling he unfurled his own appendages, revealing the huge white dragon wings he'd recently acquired to an admiring crowd. Equal in length to Jou's, Seto's wings were far wider indicating the higher power and his only had the one claw at the joint.

"They're like a negative version of Seth's," Hanasaki commented, remembering the High Priest's own black dragon wings.

Grinning like a lunatic, Jonouchi hugged his lover tight, "Yep! They're my light and dark bookends," he commented, earning himself a thwap to the head and a mumbled threat from his irritated boyfriend.

Honda snickered, standing as he commented, "Good to see that having your past memories back hasn't changed you much," he commented as he unfurled his wings, revealing the green feathered appendages. Tipped with white, they stretched out to a roughly eight-foot wingspan. "You think I can get mine restored?"

"Sure, we'll ask Seth ta do it tonight if ya want," Jou answered the brunet before turning his attention to the quiet, silver-haired teen in the corner, "Okay Ryou, you're the last one."

"Okay," the teen replied, moving out of the corner and out to where he'd have more room. Taking a deep breath he unfurled his own wings to their full ten-foot wingspan. Pure white feathers, with a row of silver ones lining the bottom edge, gave one the impression that an angel had just appeared before you and momentarily took everyone's breath away.

Yuugi and Hanasaki were immediately at the silver-haired teen's sides, cooing over the beautiful wings that nearly rivaled their own in their exotic beauty.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jou noticed the subtle downward twitch of Seto's mouth. ((Don't feel bad, Dragon. They wanted ta do it ta you but you know and I know and most importantly, they know that if they tried ta give ya that kind of attention, you'd freak and push them away.))

The auburn haired hikari made no reply, but Jou could feel the lightening of his lover's mood instantly.

((Seriously. I could see the "squeal and glomp" look in Yuugi's eyes. Just say the word and he'll be all over yours.))

Seto snorted mentally, ((Hmph. You worry far too much, pup.))

Reassured, Jonouchi couldn't help but smile as he watched his normally anti-social boyfriend walk over to the others and begin asking Hanasaki questions about his unusual wings. It seemed the genius teen could not resist the urge to learn just how the "liquid" wings could get the other hikari airborne.

"You know, I don't think this is what Pegasus meant for us to be doing today," Anzu said, coming up next to her fellow _ms-n hwi_ as Honda joined Seto and the other lights.

"Somehow I don't think he'll mind too much," was Jou's reply watching the hikari interact fondly.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Across the camp, Pegasus sneezed in the middle of his meeting with the yami and _ms-n hwi_. Apologizing and shaking it off, the modern darkness continued with his crash course on the twenty-first century. There was a wealth of information that the Ancient Egyptians and Atlanteans needed to know and as the only one born in this era, Pegasus felt that it was his duty to ensure that they were well prepared for the rest of the world.

But modern events weren't the only things they were discussing. When Pegasus informed all those assembled that all their reincarnated mates were still in school, he had immediately had to launch into a lengthy explanation of the modern educational system as well as the reasons why the youngsters were training for a career. He had been pleasantly surprised at how well they all seemed to be taking the idea that they would be for most intents and purposes, commoners. Atem and Dartz had then stunned him by admitting to having secretly longed for the chance to live a life with only the responsibilities they chose to take on, not ones they were born into. Seth had then commented that if they really wanted to rule again, they had plenty of time to do so later on in their lives. Of course this statement had led into a lengthy conversation explaining to Pegasus some of the things that he hadn't learned about being a darkness yet.

Another topic had started with Pegasus' reluctant admission of the disappearance of Atlantis from the Earth. When the silver-haired man had told the former king that it was rumored Atlantis had sunk, the aqua-haired darkness had actually begun laughing. Dartz then proceeded to explain to a baffled group that one of Atlantis' defense mechanisms was to shift dimensions and it was far easier to move a city down than any other direction. Speechless, Pegasus had just stared at the man in shock as the concept that the "lost" city of Atlantis might not be lost after all, slowly sunk in. However, Dartz had no idea as to why the city would take such a dramatic effect or why they would stay hidden for so long.

Bakura suggested that it might have something to do with the strange absence of _akhu_ and _kkwy_ the world over. He could understand why the Egyptian ones had gone into hiding, but why had all their kind vanished? While not as numerous as humans, their kind had existed in every known part of the world. How could they all just disappear without a trace, leaving almost no sign of their ever having lived? The possibilities were disturbing.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Back at the sleeping tents, the hikari Cynthia was learning some very surprising things from Chris about her mommy. The young woman had cheerfully offered to watch over the girl in order to allow both her parents and her guardians the opportunity to work without having to be concerned over her safety. Plus the fact was that Cynthia adored children.

Currently, the little brunette was sitting on a chair while the blonde woman fixed her pigtails since as she had run about, her hair had gone askew and the blonde had offered to fix it for the child.

"Thank you Lady Cynthia," Chris said politely, admiring her newly re-pigtailed hair then standing and curtseying to the older woman in her new skirt. "Mommy usually fixes my hair when I mess it up, but Daddy said I have to let him study today."

Catching the unusual title the young child had for her teenage father, the blonde-haired woman decided to simply ask about it. "Chris, why do you call Tomoya-kun, "Mommy"?"

"'Cause Daddy said that I grew in Mommy's tummy for nine months and that's why he's my Mommy and Daddy is my Daddy," she answered honestly, looking confused as to why she was even being asked.

Cynthia's light blue eyes grew wide in shock, "Tomoya gave birth to you?"

Chris nodded emphatically, "Uh-huh. Daddy said that with humans and most other creatures, only the girls can have babies. But lights and _ms-n hwi_ can have babies too, even if they're a boy like my Mommy!"

"Oh my!" the gentle woman exclaimed, "I didn't know that," she confessed to the child, the implications of that small bit of information beginning to settle in. If the child's statement was correct, then that could mean they may already have a MALE pregnant teenager on their hands.

-

November 29, 2008  
-edited May 27, 2009

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o


	19. Chapter 19

Well, NaNoWriMo is underway so please wish me luck! Updates may be delayed due to the gradual meltdown of my brain.

This chapter has been slightly edited, so same rules apply for the unedited version!

* * *

Title: Retrieving Destiny  
Part: 19/23  
Author: Murasaki Rose  
Beta: none  
Genre: Romance/Fantasy/AU  
Rating: R  
Spoilers: Yami Yuugi's real name  
Warnings: Yaoi (male x male), Yuri (female x female), implied Mpreg  
Pairings: YYxY, SxJxS, DxT, YBxR, YMxM, HxO, PxC, IxM  
Minor Pairings: BMGxA, BMxK, TxCxH  
Disclaimer: Here we go. Yu-Gi-Oh and all its characters are the property of Kazuki Takahashi, Shueisha, Konami, Toei, and unfortunately, 4 Kids Entertainment. In other words, I don't own them and I'm not making any money off of this, I'm just a fangirl having some fun.  
A/N: "text" = speech, 'text' = thought, ((text)) = telepathy

Summary: While assisting his grandfather on an excavation in Egypt for their senior class trip, Yuugi and his friends unleash seven powerful beings from their millennia-long imprisonment. These strange creatures, who call themselves "darkness", will bring about a series of life-changing events for the close-knit group of teenagers.

2,176 words | 2nd draft - 2,225 words

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

As the day came to an end, Cynthia finally returned Chris to her father, asking Dartz directly if it was true that Tomoya was male when he gave birth to Chris, and if they should be worrying about any other pregnancies from the other teens. Dartz and the other darkness were quick to reassure the woman that yes, Tomoya was completely male when he had conceived and birthed Chris and that no, there would be no unplanned pregnancies. Even though an _akhu_ and even _ms-n hwi_ males could bear children, it was only after the casting of a specific spell that required the cooperation of both parties involved.

Reassured, the woman had left with her husband, leaving the ancient beings to their own devices. It was through an unanimous, unspoken decision, that the yami's decided to release their two final comrades then take their hikari back to their tents to "retire early" for the night. So as the rest of the camp settled down to relax, each of the darks collected their lights and lovers, leading them away from the group by either physical means or contacting them through their links.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Feeling strong arms wrapping around his waist from behind, Yugi hummed contentedly and snuggled back into the warm embrace of his lover's arms. "I was starting to wonder if you were going to show up today," the small teen commented.

"I'm sorry _mry_, I did not expect our lessons to take so long," Atem apologized sincerely to his light, burying his face in spiky tresses to press soft kisses to the top of the boy's head. Yugi giggled and squirmed batting playfully at the darkness who decided to make a game of dodging his light's hand while continuing to rain kisses on his head. Their game continued until Yugi ducked down and dropped out of Atem's encircling arms, glomping onto the taller teen from behind.

"Soooo~ what's the plan koi?" he asked, lifting up on his toes to press a soft kiss to the back of Atem's neck just below his hair.

"Mmm, well I was hoping you would want to make an early retreat," Atem murmured, arching his neck to allow Yugi room to explore. ((Isis and Marik have been released, so we're done for tonight. Ah, right there _ari_,)) he encouraged through their link when Yugi's lips found a particularly sensitive spot on his neck. He had to stifle a soft moan of disappointment when the small teen stopped and pulled away.

"Not out here," the light whispered into his darkness' ear, blowing softly into the sensitive shell. Shuddering in reaction, the tanned teenager grabbed hold of his pale lover's hand and led him away from the group heading fast towards their tent. On their way out of the circle, the pharaoh caught sight of a familiar head of spiky blond hair weaving it's way slowly towards an unsuspecting Malik. 'Good luck, my friend,' he thought, knowing the modern teenager would prove to be quite the challenge to even someone as crazy and stubborn as Marik.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

'Behave yourself Marik. Just get your _akhu_ and take him somewhere isolated without bothering anyone. Bleh. She acts like I'm going to act like a complete lunatic,' the lavender-eyed male thought sulkily as he slinked through the crowded camp, his floor length, tan coat pulled closed and belted shut over his mid-thigh length shenti to help him blend in. Looking around the area, he finally spotted his _akhu_ sitting on the outside of one of the fires by himself, staring contemplatively into the flames and Marik felt his breath catch at the sight his beautiful light made with the firelight glinting off his cornsilk blond hair. 'By the gods, he's grown into a gorgeous creature,' the yami thought admiring the view for a moment. Shaking himself internally to regain his focus, the tall darkness went on the move again this time not stopping until he was directly behind the teen.

Suddenly feeling like he was being watched, Malik sat up straight and looked around. Twisting around to check behind him he would have screamed in shock at having another face right there if the owner hadn't clamped a hand over his mouth to silence him. Bringing his fist up the teen hauled off to slug the man who'd grabbed him, only to have it grabbed and twisted behind his back. Malik continued to struggle but it didn't take long before his attacker had him tied hand and foot with his mouth gagged before heading back into camp. A fact that greatly confused the captive teen, didn't kidnappers usually want to get away from other people?

'Have fun with your soul mate, little brother,' Rishid thought as he watched Marik leave with Malik trussed up and slung over his shoulder. Having known the destiny awaiting his younger sibling since he had turned sixteen, Rishid had been looking forward to the day that their clan would finally be able to welcome back the _kkwy_ and _akhu_. After all, as a direct descendant of one of the surviving human members of the royal court, he had access to information that the rest of the world did not.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Mai was exhausted, physically and mentally. Her back ached from hauling all the boxes of paperwork and artifacts around and her brain was positively drained from all the categorizing she'd done. She swore she'd be labeling in her sleep all night!

So the young woman had begged off of joining in the evening festivities in order to get to bed early. With a long tired groan, the blonde college student collapsed face first on her bed, realizing that she still hadn't changed only after she had landed. Deciding that she didn't care, the woman simply lay there trying to muster up enough energy to turn off the lantern.

"Perhaps I can be of assistance," a soft feminine voice spoke out, startling the blonde.

Mai's head jerked up and she looked over her shoulder at the person who had just entered her tent. Standing at the foot of her cot was a beautiful green-eyed Egyptian woman. She was dressed in a floor length tan dress with a gold belt and a tan half cape attached to a gold collar. Her mid-waist length raven black hair was pulled back from her face with lengths on either side wrapped in gold bands and a gold tiara with an emerald stone in the center adorning her forehead over a pair of gentle bluish-green eyes. "Are you new here?" the blonde woman asked, blinking in surprise. She'd never seen her before and yet Mai could swear that she knew her!

The raven-haired woman smiled, "Yes, you could say that. My younger brother and I arrived just this evening."

Sitting up and suppressing a slight grimace, Mai smiled warmly at the new arrival, "Welcome to the madness, I'm Mai Kujaku, pleased to meet you." she said, standing and offering the other woman her hand.

Confused at the greeting, the Egyptian woman took it, simply holding it as she introduced herself. "I am Isis."

"So are you supposed to be my new roommate, err tentmate?" the blonde asked, not seeming to notice or care that Isis had not let go of her hand yet.

"If you do not mind," the priestess replied, gently rubbing the knuckles of her light's hand.

"Not at all. It'll be great to have some female company my own age, "Mai admitted, not realizing she'd returned the hold.

Giving the younger woman a gentle nudge, Isis led her light to lie back on her bed. "Come, let me help with your back, I can tell it is bothering you." she told the other woman.

"Oh that's all right, we need to get you set up so you can get to bed and-" Mai was cut off by a gentle pressing of an index finger against her lips.

"As I said, your back is bothering you. You shouldn't be doing anything to further aggravate it," the raven-haired woman replied, her tone indicating that she was not about to brook any sort of argument from the other woman. Isis knew that with her light she had to be firm. The strong-headed blonde was always one to push herself to her limits and beyond for the sake of duty until she either collapsed or was forced to rest and take care of herself.

Surrendering to the other woman's will Mai kicked off her shoes this time and throwing the covers to the side, lay down on her stomach to let Isis do as she wished.

Smiling down at the blonde, Isis kneeled down on a cushion she'd formed with her magic. She had already taken steps to ensure their privacy and was fully ready to set about taking care of her mate. The priestess wanted to restore the other woman's memories of their life before, but was content to wait until she had the blonde's permission. She was not about to force anything on her beloved _akhu_.

Leaning over her light, Isis began to slowly knead the stiffened muscles in the blonde's shoulders, eliciting a groan from the prone woman. Knowing that to be a positive sound, the priestess continued her work, slowly moving down to work out the kinks further down the other woman's spine. As she worked, Isis slowly began to convert the bed into something a bit larger and far more comfortable for the both of them.

Seeing her mate's eyes closed and a happy smile adorning her face, the darkness slowly slipped her hands beneath her light's shirt to touch the pale skin directly, never ceasing the soothing, kneading motion of her hands. Mai squirmed a bit at the change, but didn't stiffen and made no sign of protest, allowing the priestess to continue. Moving her hands up very slowly, Isis began pushing up the other woman's shirt little by little, each time moving back down to where she'd first touched skin and then just a tiny bit lower.

Eventually her hands had reached the other woman's bra strap and she had managed to push Mai's pants down a few inches, then taking a deep breath, Isis softly asked her light if she could move into a better position to continue. Feeling drowsy and very relaxed, Mai easily agreed not realizing that the other woman meant to climb onto the bed and straddle her!

Nervous, Mai started to protest when Isis calmly reassured her that this was the easiest and most effective way for her to work and promptly began massaging the blonde's back again, being sure not to touch anything she hadn't before until her light had relaxed under her hands once more.

With a swiftness Mai would not have expected, the Egyptian woman had unhooked the blonde's bra to better massage the skin beneath without rubbing the fabric harshly into her skin. The orchid-eyed woman would have protested, but the wonderful sensations made it impossible as she nearly purred from the treatment. When Mai began to make little humming noises, Isis worked her way back down carefully kneading the skin and muscles in the same manner as before. This time though, she moved her hands much lower, massaging the other woman's buttocks firmly. This time Mai groaned and squirmed a bit again, but didn't protest which made the darkness above her smile.

Deciding it was time to move forward again, Isis drew her hands up Mai's back, this time massaging the muscles on her sides. As she reached the area just under Mai's breasts, she made sure to lightly brush against the sensitive mounds with every motion, relishing in the soft squirming from her prone mate. Again, the priestess took her motions downward again, this time though when she reached the edge of her light's pants she slipped her hands beneath them and began kneading the skin on the other woman's hips. Mai inhaled sharply, but again made no motion to stop her, some unnamed feeling deep inside telling her that she could trust the woman above her and that this should be happening.

Still not receiving a protest, Isis removed both of their garments entirely with her magic and sat her bare body down on the back of her light's thighs, her hands curving around to knead the muscles in front on either side of Mai's womanhood. Mai squeaked and squirmed a bit at suddenly finding herself naked with another naked woman on top of her, but she didn't have a lot of time to think about as the Egyptian woman quickly maneuvered her way between Mai's legs, spreading the creamy thighs and lifting the blonde's hips to give herself better access.

Blushing fiercely Mai looked back and gasped, her mind freezing and losing her words as she watched the hawk-like wings spreading out from the gorgeous woman's bare back.

-

November 30, 2008  
-edited May 27, 2009

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o


	20. Chapter 20

Another edited chapter, minna-san! Same drill as always for the unedited version!

* * *

Title: Retrieving Destiny  
Part: 20/23  
Author: Murasaki Rose  
Beta: none  
Genre: Romance/Fantasy/AU  
Rating: R  
Spoilers: Yami Yuugi's real name  
Warnings: Yaoi (male x male), Yuri (female x female), implied Mpreg  
Pairings: YYxY, SxJxS, DxT, YBxR, YMxM, HxO, PxC, IxM  
Minor Pairings: BMGxA, BMxK, TxCxH  
Disclaimer: Here we go. Yu-Gi-Oh and all its characters are the property of Kazuki Takahashi, Shueisha, Konami, Toei, and unfortunately, 4 Kids Entertainment. In other words, I don't own them and I'm not making any money off of this, I'm just a fangirl having some fun.  
A/N: "text" = speech, 'text' = thought, ((text)) = telepathy

Summary: While assisting his grandfather on an excavation in Egypt for their senior class trip, Yuugi and his friends unleash seven powerful beings from their millennia-long imprisonment. These strange creatures, who call themselves "darkness", will bring about a series of life-changing events for the close-knit group of teenagers.

1,804 words | 2nd draft - 2,047 words

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Stepping into his light's tent, Marik grimaced at the sorry state of the teen's bed, the flimsy thing was barely suitable for one to even sleep on and absolutely worthless for what he had planned. Using his magic, the young tomb builder easily fixed that problem, tossed his light down onto the wider and much more comfortable surface, then sealed the tent from intrusion and exit, as well as from sound.

Taking in his beautiful light's furious expression, the darkness decided it would be safest to maintain a bit of distance for now and unbound the teen with another wave of magic. Once free Malik immediately curled his legs beneath him and prepared to pounce in attack when Marik suddenly unfurled his wings, stopping the teen in his tracks.

Knowing the source of the teen's fascination, Marik stretched his dark purple wings out to their full length, allowing the other male to get a good look at them while he undid the sash around his waist, allowing his coat to fall open again.

For his part, Malik couldn't help but stare in awe at the man before him. At first it was his wings, which seemed to be made of a type of living, tattered fabric, continually undulating even as the man remained still and once he was able to take his eyes off the amazing wings, Malik found his attention drawn to the gorgeous specimen the wings were attached to. Still dressed in a mid-thigh length shenti, the broad-chested, caramel-skinned male wore little else save gold armbands, arm bracers, choker and leg bracers. The man had long, blond hair the same color as Malik's but instead of laying flat, spiked up from his head and they even shared the same lavender eye color, but the handsome stranger before him seemed to have no visible pupils.

"Who are you?" he finally managed to ask as that same, deep-seeded part of him that had been looking forward to something coming, something important, and something just for him, was suddenly screaming that THIS was what he had been waiting for.

The yami couldn't help but smirk at his stunned hikari, "I am Marik, tomb builder for per-aA Atem. I am also your _kkwy_, the one meant to be with you and your eternal soul mate," he purred dropping his coat off his shoulders to the floor.

"What exactly is a _kkwy_?" Malik asked, still eyeing the other man suspiciously, he wasn't about to let his guard entirely down no matter what his senses told him.

"A darkness is a human-like being born from a human or some other magical being. When our bodies reach the beginning stages of adulthood, we develop wings that vary in shape, style, form and color depending on strength, personality, and region of birth. The size and complexity of the wings is an indication of power, so the more powerful a _kkwy_ is the larger and more elaborate their wings are in proportion to their body." Marik explained, moving to sit on the edge of the bed and stifling a chuckle as Malik scrambled to the other side.

"So why did you grab me? Or is being a psycho part of being a darkness?" the teen asked, ending his question on a snarky sarcastic tone.

Again Marik smirked at his feisty mate. "Well you see beautiful one," he started, enjoying the blush that crossed Malik's cheeks, "Every _kkwy_ is born with a soul mate. This person is their perfect companion, their _akhu_, their light. An _akhu_ gives a _kkwy_ their reason for living; they are one person that will make them happiest just as the _kkwy_ is the one who will make the _akhu_ the happiest. An _akhu_ and _kkwy_ always know one another on sight, a feeling of completion and rightness filling them when they meet." Marik explained further, scooting just a little closer to the skittish teen as he noticed the recognition in the boy's eyes "And you are MY _akhu_," he declared, leering at the teen on the bed.

"WHAT?!" Malik shouted staring wide-eyed at the spiky-haired lunatic.

"And to answer your second question: No, being a psycho is not a part of being a darkness. I'm just a little, enthusiastic." he purred the last word, pouncing on the teen and pressing their lips together.

Malik yelped and tried to push the taller male off, but Marik simply took advantage of the boy's open mouth to plunge his tongue inside quickly, seeking out Malik's own tongue and prodding the teen into reciprocating. For a moment the teen stubbornly refused to respond but soon his instincts and hormones combined to overwhelm him and he joined the other man in a fierce battle of tongues. Marik growled approvingly into the teen's mouth moving one hand up to fist in the soft cornsilk blond tresses of his hikari. Not one to be outdone, Malik fisted both hands into Marik's own spiky hair, tugging almost painfully on the stiff strands tangled between his fingers.

Pulling away, Marik snarled his approval and removed his hand from Malik's hair to sit up and get the leverage he needed. Fisting both hands in the teen's shirt, Marik pulled hard, tearing the material away to reveal the smooth, toned chest of his light to his eager eyes. Groaning in arousal at the gorgeous sight, he leaned back down and pinning the teen's shoulders to the bed, tilted his head to the side and sunk his teeth into the vulnerable flesh.

Malik howled, the combined pain and pleasure arousing him to new heights and feeling the intense urge to reciprocate, the teen locked his arms around Marik's neck and pulled him down within reach then sunk his own teeth into the darkness' shoulder. It was Marik's turn to howl this time, the yami grinding his hips against the teen's to show him just how much he'd appreciated the rough treatment from his hikari. Malik moaned and bucked up, returning his yami's motions and nearly leading the two into an early end, but fortunately for them both, Marik retained enough control to stop and raise himself back out of range, earning himself a frustrated whine from the lavender-eyed teen below him.

"Patience, my light. You'll reach completion soon enough," he promised the teen, grinning darkly down at him.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Entwined together with his mate on their own bed, Yuugi felt a strange surge of energy. It was similar to the ones he'd been feeling the last several days, but this one seemed different somehow.

"Marik and Isis have completed the bonds with their _akhu_. Now the last of us are complete." Atem said, partially answering Yuugi's unspoken question.

"Why did it feel different this time?" the hikari asked curiously.

Atem considered it for a moment before answering. "I believe it felt different for several reasons: First, our bond has been strengthening over the last several days and your own powers have been growing stronger as they awaken. Second, Isis and Marik are siblings; there may have been some form of resonance between them that would not have occurred with anyone else. Third, and the most likely reason, they were the last to be released and also the last of my court that had still not bonded with their lights. It is entirely possible that we now share a special bond that we did not have in our prior lives."

Yuugi nodded, pleased that his mate had given him such an in-depth explanation. He felt that the more he learned about magic the better he would be at both learning and practicing it so any information was quite welcome to him. Atem agreed with his line of thought and was more than happy to explain anything magic in nature to his light just as Yuugi was happy to explain modern customs and creations that he had never been exposed to.

Closing his eyes, Yuugi hummed happily and nuzzled Atem's chest, "I'm glad the four of them aren't lonely anymore."

"As am I, _ari_." Atem agreed, pressing a soft kiss to the top of his mate's head.

-

November 30, 2008  
-edited May 27, 2009

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o


	21. Chapter 21

Title: Retrieving Destiny  
Part: 21/23  
Author: Murasaki Rose  
Beta: none  
Genre: Romance/Fantasy/AU  
Rating: R  
Spoilers: Yami Yuugi's real name  
Warnings: Yaoi (male x male), Yuri (female x female), implied Mpreg  
Pairings: YYxY, SxJxS, DxT, YBxR, YMxM, HxO, PxC, IxM  
Minor Pairings: BMGxA, BMxK, TxCxH  
Disclaimer: Here we go. Yu-Gi-Oh and all its characters are the property of Kazuki Takahashi, Shueisha, Konami, Toei, and unfortunately, 4 Kids Entertainment. In other words, I don't own them and I'm not making any money off of this, I'm just a fangirl having some fun.  
A/N: "text" = speech, 'text' = thought, ((text)) = telepathy

Summary: While assisting his grandfather on an excavation in Egypt for their senior class trip, Yuugi and his friends unleash seven powerful beings from their millennia-long imprisonment. These strange creatures, who call themselves "darkness", will bring about a series of life-changing events for the close-knit group of teenagers.

1,972 words | 2nd draft – 2,176 words

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Seated comfortably in his darkness' lap, Yuugi cuddled with his lover contentedly where they were seated at the edge of the bonfire. Tonight was the last night at the dig site for the students from Japan so the rest of the crew had decided to make this night's festivities extra special for them. Feeling happy and welcome amongst the music and laughter, Yuugi was surprised when he was struck by a sudden wave of homesickness.

((Are you all right, _ari_?)) Atem asked, looking down at his mate in concern.

Yuugi nodded, ((Yeah, I was just feeling a bit home sick is all,)) he said through their link before switching to speaking out lout. "It's hard to believe that we've only been here two weeks. So much has changed in such a short time."

"Yes, yes it has," Atem replied, his gaze growing distant for a moment.

Hearing the odd inflection to his yami's voice, he suddenly realized that his darkness would be leaving HIS home to be with him. ((We can come back and visit as often as you'd like, koi,)) Yuugi promised, feeling horribly guilty and not wanting his other to be sad.

((It is not this Egypt that I will miss _ari_. Rather it is the Khemet that I grew up in and where I first met you that I miss,)) Atem was quick to reassure his light. "But I would give it all up again in a heartbeat, if it meant I could spend the rest of my life with you by my side," he told his beloved, earning himself a heartfelt kiss from his emotionally overwhelmed amethyst-eyed lover.

Yuugi smiled sweetly up at his darkness, "That was the sweetest, corniest thing anyone has ever said to me," he teased lightly, giggling at the dumbfounded expression on his lover's face. He hadn't been able to resist poking a little fun at his darker half; after all, it wouldn't do to let the former pharaoh get too big of a head.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Seated close to Atem and his light were the two Atlantean royals, alone since Chris had been put to bed earlier by their knights who had surprised the mated pair by offering to watch over her so that the two could remain at the celebration with the others. Touched by the offer, the lovers had accepted and were now enjoying the evening along with their friends, both new and old. Turning his head to smile down at his light, Dartz felt his breath catch at the beautiful sight his mate made in the firelight, the flickering flames making his pale orange hair seem to glow with a fire all it's own. Unable to resist, the yami pulled the teen closer and softly kissed his temple, earning himself a beautific smile and a gentle kiss on the cheek in return. Hanasaki truly appreciated his lover's sweet show of affection, especially when his mind kept wandering away from the bonfire and back to Japan where his mother and father were waiting for his return.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Watching his lovers battle over a game of Senet, Jonouchi couldn't decide whether to be irritated or amused: On the one hand, his husband and his boyfriend were both playing outside and were surrounded by their friends. On the other hand, they were both so completely wrapped up in their game that neither one was paying attention to anything but the board.

"Feeling kinda third wheelish, huh Jou?" Honda asked, clapping a hand down on the disgruntled blond's shoulder.

"Nah," Jou replied shaking his head, "Just kinda annoyed that they're so wrapped up in their game that they can't enjoy the party."

"I don't think they're as focused as you think Jono," Otogi replied, coming up on the blond's other side. To prove his point, the ebony-haired darkness wrapped an arm around Jou's waist and spoke out, "Since your lovers are too busy to pay any attention to you, how about Honda and I keep you . . entertained," he purred to the honey-eyed blond.

"Take your arm off the puppy before I break it Otogi," Seto growled, suddenly looming over the seated trio.

"-and before I am forced to do something . . . rash." Seth threatened, standing next to his light and looking equally pissed.

Releasing the blond, Otogi grabbed Honda and made a hasty retreat, calling back to the blond as he ran, "Told ya so!"

Jou had just enough time to blink before he was hauled off his feet and into an unyielding two-sided embrace, his mouth fiercely claimed by each of his lovers in turn. 'Heh, I think I like their jealous sides,' he thought happily.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

From their seat across from Yuugi and Atem, Anzu and Mana were giggling at the scene Jou and the others had just made. It really was sweet to see just how much the normally stoic auburn-haired males loved Jonouchi and each another. Meanwhile, the two girls had been having a wonderful time watching all their friends, both past and present, enjoying themselves with their soul mates.

Next to them, Kisara had managed to get Mahaado to relax and enjoy the festivities for once. She knew that tomorrow their new life would begin, opening a world of opportunities and a great many challenges as well so she wanted her husband to relax just a little before they started.

The comforting warmth of Mahaado's breath against her neck made her sigh and snuggle happily into the arms that had wrapped around her waist, I love you, my Dark Magician.

Struggling not to blush, he buried his face into her hair and replied, As I love you, my Dragoness of Light.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Talking with his older brother Rishid, Malik couldn't help but be excited about heading to Japan with the others. As it had been the case for the Japanese teens regarding their trip to Egypt, for him it would be his first trip outside of the country. The lavender-eyed teen was especially pleased that he'd taken the time to learn Japanese when he'd first found out they were going to be joined by students from Japan since his impulsive decision would now serve him well in the next leg in his life journey.

Hearing the furious cries of irritation from Isis and Mai, the teen looked up in time to see his lover laughing like a maniac as he ran from the scene, an empty bucket still clutched in his hands. Looking back over at the female hikari and yami, he saw that his hopefully not about to be castrated mate, had dumped a bucket of dirt all over the two women. Seeing the angry glares of both women focused in the direction his darkness had run, Malik sent his lover a single message, ((I am NOT hiding you from them Marik.))

More maniacal laughter was his only reply.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Outside of camp, perched high on the rock outcropping where Ryou had first heard his yami's voice, two silver-haired males had curled against one another and were gazing up at the full moon and myriad of stars, their wings wrapped around each other to conserve warmth. Having felt too crowded amongst the people gathered around the bonfire, Bakura had led his light outside of camp and over to the rock for some quiet time alone with the teen. Neither one spoke, as both males were simply content to be together enjoying the quiet and the magnificent view.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The next morning as they were packing their things away, the Japanese teens were surprised yet also very pleased to learn that Malik was coming with them.

"I've got to go to college somewhere, why not pick one in Japan?" he'd commented.

Later, over breakfast the teens had also come to two disturbing realizations were wondering what they could do to solve the problem, so after they finished eating, the group had headed over to Pegasus to ask him if he had any ideas.

"Ano, Pegasus-san?" Yuugi began, "How are we going to get our yami's and the others back to Japan with us?"

"Yeah, it's not like they came with passports or anything," was Jonouchi's comment.

Pegasus smiled at the assembled teens, "Ah Yuugi-boy, I was wondering when one of you were going to ask me that question. The solution to the problem is simple, and lies in the very objects you released them from."

"What do you mean?" Ryou asked.

"I mean that the _kkwy_ can temporarily return to their item, allowing them to safely pass through every airport in any country you land in without detection." the man explained to the group.

Malik raised a hand, "Question: How exactly are you intending for us to make it through customs with NINE items that legally belong in the hands of the Department of Antiquities?"

"That would be where I come in, little brother," Rishid broke in, entering the room with a folder in hand. "In this folder is the paperwork for each of your items, stating that what you have are authentic REPLICAS, crafted to resemble talismans described in an ancient legend." he smiled at the teens, "I even have stickers from the "manufacturer" complete with serial numbers."

"And you really think this will work?" Seto asked incredulously, knowing the insane amount of protective procedures the Egyptian government had in place to prevent artifacts from being smuggled out of the country. They were very rigid and effective and, after years of refining their procedures, were nearly impossible to get around.

"Normally no," Rishid answered honestly. "Fortunately, the items you have are only vaguely mentioned in legend and there is no other proof that they exist. Adding to that, is the fact that because they are magic in nature, the items have remained untouched by time, making them appear new."

"What about Chris?" Tomoya asked, concerned about his daughter's passage to Japan, he didn't want to put her back into sub-space if he didn't have to.

"Ah yes, Hanasaki-boy. Your daughter was a bit more difficult, but I was able to pull a few strings and have managed to obtain all the legal documents she'll need to travel with you. As far as anyone knows, she's Japanese born and your adopted daughter who traveled with you on your trip."

"Did you do the same for Mana, Kisara, Mahaado, Timeaus, Critias, and Hermos?" Anzu asked, knowing she had no item for her wife to hide in.

Pegasus shook his head, "No. Mahaado has assured me that the six of them would be able to follow you magically."

Anzu sighed in relief as Yuugi thanked the man for all his help and the group took their leave. It was time to go home!

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

((_Ari_, are you sure this device is safe?)) Atem asked his light from inside the Puzzle as the teen headed for the airplane. He knew boat travel, and the horseless chariots hadn't seemed too bad, but this flying chariot . . .

((Don't worry Atem. Flying is much safer than driving and you handled that just fine,)) Yuugi reassured his darkness.

((Not bad, but I still think the smaller ones we had back in Atlantis were crafted far better,)) Dartz commented, critically examining the large commercial aircraft they were boarding. ((Yes, but these are quite safe.)) Tomoya replied, making sure Chris was secured in her seat before taking the one next to her.

((I'd prefer we were traveling by Shadows like the _ms-n hwi_.)) Bakura growled from inside the Ring, the confined cabin filled with unknown people making him suspicious. ((Bakura, we've been over this. We all came to Egypt by plane. It would look suspicious if we didn't come back the same way!)) Ryou told his darkness again.

((We still should have blasted that man for touching our husband!)) Seth snarled, referring to the man who had decided for that some reason that Jonouchi looked suspicious and needed to be searched. ((He'll be lucky to have his job tomorrow if I have my way.)) Seto growled back, a possessive arm curled tightly around the blond's waist. Jou offered no complaint, not having enjoyed being searched anymore than his lovers had enjoyed it happening to him.

Honda and Anzu followed after them, their own mates silently observing the airplane in awe, when the brunette girl smacked the male on the back of his head as he started to say something to antagonize the trio ahead of them.

Not about to allow anything to ruin his good mood, Malik was practically skipping onto the plane, while Marik silently basked in his light's innocent joy. The two of them were looking forward to their time in Japan.

((Are they always this lively?)) Isis asked Mai as the blonde woman took her seat. ((No, sometimes they're worse,)) the orchid-eyed woman replied tiredly. ((You should see them at school.))

After the nightmare of going through first customs and then airport security, Sugoroku was just glad they all got onto the plane in one piece. He just prayed that their arrival in Japan went smoother than this had.

-

November 30, 2008  
-edited May 30, 2009

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o


	22. Chapter 22

Title: Retrieving Destiny  
Part: 22/23  
Author: Murasaki Rose  
Beta: none  
Genre: Romance/Fantasy/AU  
Rating: R  
Spoilers: Yami Yuugi's real name  
Warnings: Yaoi (male x male), Yuri (female x female), implied Mpreg  
Pairings: YYxY, SxJxS, DxT, YBxR, YMxM, HxO, PxC, IxM  
Minor Pairings: BMGxA, BMxK, TxCxH  
Disclaimer: Here we go. Yu-Gi-Oh and all its characters are the property of Kazuki Takahashi, Shueisha, Konami, Toei, and unfortunately, 4 Kids Entertainment. In other words, I don't own them and I'm not making any money off of this, I'm just a fangirl having some fun.  
A/N: "text" = speech, 'text' = thought, ((text)) = telepathy

Summary: While assisting his grandfather on an excavation in Egypt for their senior class trip, Yuugi and his friends unleash seven powerful beings from their millennia-long imprisonment. These strange creatures, who call themselves "darkness", will bring about a series of life-changing events for the close-knit group of teenagers.

2,121 words | 2nd draft – 2,169 words

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Niisama! Jonouchi-nii!!!" an exuberant voice yelled loudly over the noisy crowd followed immediately by female voice yelling:

"Oniichan! Seto-oniisan!"

Mokuba and Shizuka, the owners of the voices, went tearing for their older brothers once they caught sight of Seto and Jonouchi exiting the terminals. Leaping into their siblings arms, the pre-teen and young teenager laughed happily as they were hugged by their brothers.

"Shizu-chan what are you doing here?!" Jonouchi asked, stunned that his little sister was there to greet him for their arrival.

"Mokuba-chan picked me up this afternoon," she explained as her brother sat her down, giving her another hug before he finally let her go. "I got permission from Okaasan to stay over for a couple nights," she told her big brother cheerfully.

"All right!" the blond cheered, thrilled beyond words that his mother was allowing him and his sister time together. It wasn't often that the two Jonouchi siblings were able to spend much time together, since she lived in a different city and their mother was far too overprotective to let the girl stay out of her sight for long.

Walking along side his brother, Mokuba gave his brother a searching look. "Something's different about you," he said finally.

Pleased by his little brother's observance, Seto decided to feign ignorance anyway. "Different how?" he asked, handing his bag to Isono.

"I'm not sure . . ." Mokuba finally admitted after a moment. "But something changed while you were gone. It's the same thing with Jonouchi-nii. He's definitely happier and there's something else I can't put my finger on," the pre-teen stated honestly, "Something happened while you were in Egypt didn't it?"

"Hnn. You're right Mokuba," Seto admitted after a moment, "Something did happen, but you'll have to wait until we get home before I explain anything. It's a far too long and complicated story to tell in the limo. Katsuya and I WILL tell you both when we get settled in at home," he promised, ruffling Mokuba's long, spiky, dark blue locks.

((Your brother is quite observant,)) Seth commented once the group of four had gotten into the limo.

((Yes, I'm very proud of him,)) Seto replied, giving the pre-teen a gentle, proud smile

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Watching Anzu and Honda greet their parents, Mai found herself wishing them the best of luck; she knew that it was going to be quite difficult for the two teens to explain things to their parents. Out of all of the teens, Anzu and Honda had seemed the most nervous about the upcoming confrontation and the blonde student teacher couldn't help but worry for them. Before they had left, Mai had been sure to give both teen's her address and phone number just in case, but that was the most she could do for now.

((They will be fine. Hondo and Teana are strong and they are not alone,)) Isis reassured her through their link as her hikari got into the cab while the driver loaded her suitcases into the trunk.

Mai sighed, her yami was right, but still . . . ((I know they're strong, but I still worry about them. They're just kids and I know it'll hurt them a lot to have their parent's reject them.))

((Have faith my light. Things will be okay.))

Smiling, Mai leaned her head back against the seat of the taxicab. ((I hope you're right, Isis. I really hope you're right.))

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Ryou stifled a laugh as Malik made yet another amazed exclamation over something else out the window. While the boys had been waiting for an empty taxi, Ryou had learned that the Egyptian teen's older brother had procured his friend an apartment in the same building as Ryou's. So of course it only made sense for the two teenagers to travel together. Unfortunately, Ryou had forgotten that Malik had never been outside of Egypt before. So now he was stuck sharing a taxi with the over-excited teen who was acting as spastic and touristy as Jonouchi had when they'd arrived in Cairo. It also didn't help that he could hear Bakura making sarcastic comments the entire time in his head.

To Ryou's relief they soon arrived at his apartment building, Malik practically flying out of the cab to get a good look at the outside of his new home. Then with luggage in hand, the two teens went inside, Ryou offering to walk with the Egyptian to the manager's office.

"I'll go with you to make sure you get everything you need from her," he said, knowing that the other teen was still learning Japanese and might miss something important otherwise. Behind them, Marik and Bakura appeared both wearing modern versions of their original outfits, wrapping their arms around the teens' waists possessively. "Oh good!" Ryou chirped, "We can introduce the two of you as well since you'll be living with us," he stated, leading the way with a bit of difficulty with Bakura attached to his middle. Coming to the manager's officer door Ryou knocked briskly before entering with the three Egyptians close behind.

"Konnichi wa, manager-san!" the silver-haired teen greeted the middle-aged woman cheerfully. "I've come with your new tenant Malik Ishtar!"

"Hello Ryou-chan! How was your trip?" she asked, after pausing to greet Malik politely then going to look for his key.

"It was a lot of fun and I made some new friends," he told her smiling happily.

"I can see that," she said, giving a knowing grin to the teen who blushed both at the implications and his lack of manners.

"I'm sorry! Manager-san, the man behind me is Bakura Wati (1) and the one holding Malik is Marik Wosret (2), they're our boyfriends."

The woman laughed as she started shooing the boys out of the office, "I figured that last part out myself, Ryou-chan. Talk about your ultimate souvenir, eh?"

Ryou turned bright red and buried his face in his hands while the others shared a friendly laugh at his expense.

"Now, I didn't know Malik-chan was your friend when I did this, but I gave him the apartment across from yours," she explained while the group rode up in the elevator. Arriving on the fourth floor, she led them down the hallway and unlocked the door, then handed the key to Malik. "Now the apartment comes fully furnished, complete with major appliances, and there are washing machines downstairs which Ryou can show you later. This isn't a hostel so there's no curfew, but if you're going to be out late, all I ask is that you're quiet coming home so you don't disturb the other tenants."

Malik smiled and thanked the woman, bowing properly in respect. The manager bowed in return leaving the two teens and their yami's alone.

"Well, I'll let you two get settled in, "Ryou said leading his darkness towards the door. "I've got to show Bakura around my apartment before the jet lag sets in."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Catching sight of Hanasaki's parent's turned out to be rather simple. The two adults bore such a striking resemblance to his light that Dartz couldn't help but wonder if they too were reincarnations. Waving cheerfully to his parents Tomoya swallowed down his fear and headed over, being sure to keep hold of his daughter's hand, with Dartz holding the other. They both knew how excited the girl was about the prospect of getting a grandfather and a grandmother, but neither of her parents wanted to startle the adults too early.

"Hello, 'kaasan, otousan!" he greeted his parent's smiling brightly up at them.

Confused that their son was greeting them with a strange man and child accompanying him, both of their reactions were a bit muted, but they still managed to greet their son and his guests politely.

Finally, the orange-haired teen plunged in head first, "Mom, Dad, this is my boyfriend Dartz and our daughter, Chris," he told them, grateful when both his husband and child wrapped a comforting arm around him.

Both the teen's parents gaped openly at their son for a long moment. Neither one had known that their son was gay, yes there had been times when they had suspected but still, to have him come out in a public place was quite the surprise. More to the point, he had come out to them with a beautiful man at his side, one he must have met during his trip and looked to be a several years older than he was. A man who apparently already had a daughter that their son had adopted?

Confused, it was his mother who asked the first question, "Tomoya, did you just say that Chris was your daughter?" When her son nodded and gave the small girl a loving smile, the woman knew one thing for sure: her son was serious about what he was telling them. Smiling at the little girl, she got down on her knees, "Would you like to give your grandmother a hug?" she asked, opening her arms to the child.

Giggling happily, the gray-eyed child launched herself into her grandmother's arms and hugged her tightly. Pulling back a bit, the older woman took a good look at the girl, noticing that oddly enough, especially in the eyes, the child seemed to share a lot of features with her son.

While mother and granddaughter became acquainted, Tomoya smiled nervously at his father. "I know this all seems strange Dad but I promise when we get home I'll explain everything."

"Everything?" his father asked, giving Dartz an odd look. There was just something different about the aqua-haired man holding onto his son.

"Everything," Tomoya promised, knowing that this would a long, convoluted discussion that he really hoped would be over dinner. Jet lag was beginning to set in and he was really looking forward to a nap in his own bed.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Tadaima (3)!" Yuugi caroled as he followed his grandfather into the shop, suitcases in tow. Even though they were the only ones who lived there, Yuugi was so happy to be home that he couldn't help but call out. Appearing next to his cheerful light, Atem pulled the small teen into his arms and kissed him deeply. Yuugi in turn, dropped his suitcase and twined around his beloved darkness to return the gesture.

Chuckling and shaking his head, Sugoroku locked the door and headed upstairs to drop off his own luggage and give the teens a bit of privacy.

The two boys were so wrapped up in one another that didn't even notice his exit. Finally pulling away, Yuugi moved to nuzzle his nose into the crook of Atem's neck, enjoying the other male's heady personal scent.

"So this is your home?" Atem asked, a bit confused by the colorful game boxes and other items that adorned the shelves of the room they were standing in. This didn't look like any dwelling he'd ever seen before.

Pulling away, Yuugi smiled up at the former pharaoh, "Not exactly. This is just the shop my grandfather runs," he explained, reluctantly pulling away to pick his suitcase back up. "Our home is upstairs," he said, leading the yami to the curtained-off stairs behind the register. Opening the door at the top, Yuugi ushered Atem inside to reveal a homey living room. In the background, Yuugi could hear his grandfather moving around in the kitchen, hopefully making something for dinner.

Still smiling Yuugi gave his mate a short, impromptu tour of his new home, "There's a kitchen to the right, a bathroom down the hall, and three bedrooms." Taking Atem's hand he led the other teen down the hall, pointing out his grandfather's room and the guest room before taking him to his own. The simple room contained a bed, desk, and dresser for furnishings, there was a skylight that opened up to the roof, and what turned out to be a rather large closet filled with clothes and games. The whole room seemed to reflect the bright teen's exuberant personality to a T.

Pulling his pharaoh into a hug, Yuugi sighed happily. "Welcome home Atem, my beloved darkness."

Picking up his happy light and earning himself a squeal in the process, Atem carried his light over to the twin bed situated against the wall. Placing the teen down carefully, he crawled on top of his hikari, chuckling darkly as a deep blush covered the teen's face. He loved how shy and innocent his light still was and wondered if he would always be that way. Giving the teen a chaste kiss, he pulled away and settled down comfortably on top of the boy, being careful not to put too much weight on the smaller male. Resting his head down on Yuugi's chest, he wrapped his arms around the teen's waist and closed his bright crimson eyes. ((It is good to be home, _antyw mry akhu_,)) he told his light who curled his own arms around Atem's shoulders in return, closing his amethyst eyes, content to be in the arms of the one he loved.

-

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

1 - ancient Egyptian for rebel

2 – ancient Egyptian for powerful one

3 - Japanese greeting when returning home

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

-

November 30, 2008  
-edited May 30, 2009


	23. Chapter 23: End

Title: Retrieving Destiny  
Part: 23/23  
Author: Murasaki Rose  
Beta: none  
Genre: Romance/Fantasy/AU  
Rating: R  
Spoilers: Yami Yuugi's real name  
Warnings: Yaoi (male x male), Yuri (female x female), implied Mpreg  
Pairings: YYxY, SxJxS, DxT, YBxR, YMxM, HxO, PxC, IxM  
Minor Pairings: BMGxA, BMxK, TxCxH  
Disclaimer: Here we go. Yu-Gi-Oh and all its characters are the property of Kazuki Takahashi, Shueisha, Konami, Toei, and unfortunately, 4 Kids Entertainment. In other words, I don't own them and I'm not making any money off of this, I'm just a fangirl having some fun.  
A/N: "text" = speech, 'text' = thought, ((text)) = telepathy

Summary: While assisting his grandfather on an excavation in Egypt for their senior class trip, Yuugi and his friends unleash seven powerful beings from their millennia-long imprisonment. These strange creatures, who call themselves "darkness", will bring about a series of life-changing events for the close-knit group of teenagers.

2, 394 words | 2nd draft – 2,500 words

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

**Domino City, 1 month later**

Walking down the hallway towards the main living room of his mansion, Seto Kaiba was greeted by the loud triumphant cries of his victorious puppy and the disgruntled groan of defeat from the puppy's brunet friend. Reaching the entrance of the room, his assumptions were confirmed by the sight of his boyfriend dancing around the room in a victory celebration while an irritated Honda sat sulking on the floor. Otogi had been attempting to console his hikari, but had had his attention stolen by the sight of the blond's victory dance. Seth was seated on the couch close to the dancing blond, a similar expression of confused horror on his face as he watched his husband dance around the room. Mokuba, who was used to Jonouchi's unusual game-playing victory dances, had been trying vainly to reassure Seth that Jonouchi had not lost his mind, finally giving up when he noticed that his big brother had returned home for the day.

"Thank God!" the boy exclaimed, throwing his hands up in relief. "YOU explain to your yami that Jonouchi isn't any crazier than normal!"

Seth looked over at his light for confirmation and was stunned speechless when he agreed. ((I don't understand it either; it's just how the puppy acts when he wins,)) Seto explained to his worried darkness.

"Seto!" Jonouchi exclaimed joyously, leaping over the couch to glomp onto his boyfriend. "I totally trashed Honda's ass!" he cheered before pressing his lips to the taller teen's.

"I could tell," he replied when the blond pulled away. "You also managed to scare Seth and scar Otogi with your little victory dance," he told the blond.

Dropping off his blue-eyed boyfriend, Jou leapt back over the couch to cuddle up to the Egyptian darkness. "Sorry I freaked you out love," he apologized, kissing the tanned male softly on his cheek.

"You have a very strange victory ritual Jono," Seth told his husband honestly.

Honda snorted from where he sat on the floor, "You think this was bad, you oughta see him when we play Monster World."

The two Egyptian males eyes widened considerably, he got worse?!

"You have no idea," Seto confirmed, sitting down next to the pouting Jonouchi.

"You guys suck. I'm not that bad," he attempted to defend himself, gaining only incredulous looks for his efforts. "I'm not!"

Rolling his eyes, Honda lifted himself and his mate off the floor knowing what this would eventually lead to. "We're gonna go up to our room until dinnertime okay?" he said, leaving the room with his darkness in tow.

Honda and Otogi had been living at the Kaiba mansion since the day they had returned home from Egypt and his parents had kicked him out. Unable to accept the fact that his soul mate and lover was male, Honda had been unable to even try and explain why and what they were. So he and the darkness had left and made their way over to stay with Jonouchi. Originally, Honda had planned on moving out and getting a place of his own, but Jou had insisted he stay, reminding him that they had plenty of room and that there was no point in them separating and moving out until Honda had a job and Otogi had become better acclimatized to the modern world. It was an excellent arrangement and after all, the other _ms-n hwi_ were living there too. The only real drawback was having a daily exposure to the horny love fest that was Seto, Jonouchi, and Seth.

Recognizing the signs as well, Mokuba followed their example and beat a hasty retreat himself, mumbling something about having homework to do. He knew he should stop at the back yard training area and warn the Atlantean knights before they wandered in on them . . . again. Mahaado and Kisara were over at Yuugi's so he knew he wouldn't have to worry about them getting scarred for life.

Back in the living room, Seto and Seth had completely disrobed their blond lover and had the teen helpless beneath them on the couch. Jonouchi writhed and squirmed, whining when his groping hands kept encountering the clothed bodies of his two lovers. "No fair guys, I'm the only one naked here!"

Seto smirked down at his heavily aroused boyfriend, "I don't see a problem with that do you Seth?"

Leering in return, Seth tweaked one of the blond's nipples, drinking in the blond's impassioned cry. "No not at all," he replied, continuing his pleasurable torture.

"Aww, come ooonnn~!" the blond ended in a high-pitched whine, his voice soon dissolving into nothing but cries of passion.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Raising herself up by magic, Mana carefully dusted the nick-nacks on the top shelf of the large display shelves on the one wall of Mai's apartment, humming and swinging her hips to the tune as she moved. Coming into the room, Anzu smiled at her wife, proud at how well she was adapting to their new life. Unfortunately, the blue-eyed brunette couldn't say the same for her parents. At first, the two girls had been pleasantly surprised when both her parents had immediately accepted Mana, asking her friendly questions and eagerly getting to know the cheerful Egyptian girl their daughter had fallen in love with.

Unfortunately, things fell apart a few days later. Catching her cheerful wife doing magic, Anzu's mother had panicked in confusion. When Anzu had attempted to explain, the hysterical woman had to be restrained by her father who tried to get Anzu to break up with her beloved wife. Refusing to do any such thing, Anzu had decided to show her parent's exactly what she was and had unfurled her delicate wings to their horrified eyes. Her mother had screamed and fainted and her father had ordered them both out of the house, calling them both freaks of nature and other far worse things that the teenager would rather forget.

The two girls had headed directly for Mai's apartment, Mana casting two spells before they left: one to collect all their belongings and the other to ensure her parents would magically become mute should they try and speak about the two girls abilities. After telling the older women their story, Mai and Isis had welcomed the emotionally wounded girls into their home, which was just big enough for the two couples to share comfortably.

"Lunch is ready," Isis' gentle voice came from the kitchen, breaking Anzu from her melancholy thoughts. The former priestess had taken it upon herself to learn how to cook and was getting rather good at it. Mana dropped to the ground and skipped over to her wife, giving the blue-eyed brunette a warm hug. "Cheer up love, I'm sure they'll change their minds eventually."

Anzu gave her a watery smile, "I hope so. I really hope so."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Malik had done his own laundry before. Hell, he'd done the laundry for his whole family at several times in his life. But there was something about this damn machine that just kept vexing him! "Ryou! This damn washer hates me!" The blond whined loudly as the ancient machine ground to a halt once again, the off-balance light flashing at him mockingly.

Sighing and shaking his silver hair, the brown-eyed teen came over to rescue the other teen. He honestly couldn't ever remember seeing someone have this much bad luck while doing their laundry.

Marik and Bakura were no help in this department either; the two yami had been assigned folding duty and were forbidden from touching any of the machinery. This stemmed from a certain incident regarding two toasters, an Electric Lizard, the Shadow Realm, and the fire department.

Opening up the washer Ryou bent over and began rummaging around, shifting the weight of the clothes around a bit to get a better balance and trying to ignore Bakura who was openly leering at his raised behind and making a series of lewd comments in the boy's head through their link. By the time the teen was finished and had closed the lid, he couldn't decide if he was more angry or horny. Deciding on angry, just barely, he finished with their laundry and waited for Malik, knowing that if he didn't the Egyptian teen would be calling him back down here for some bizarre crisis. That or Marik would have his light pressed against the closest surface doing things that should not be done in an apartment laundry room.

When Malik had finished, both teens reached for their baskets when their yamis surprised them, sweeping both teens into their arms and over their shoulders with one hand and lifting the laundry with the other. They had plans for their lights and weren't about to let either teen start anything else.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Dartz smiled warmly at the scene he walked into. His mother-in-law was seated at the kitchen table with his daughter, teaching her how to write in hiragana. While their daughter was well-educated and more than smart enough to attend school, she was lacking in certain areas that were necessary in a modern education. So it had been decided that they would spend as much time as needed to get her caught up before enrolling her in Domino elementary. The former Atlantean king still hadn't gotten over his surprise at just how well his husband's parents had taken everything.

When the five of them had arrived at Tomoya's home, the group had been ushered straight into the living room to talk. At first, both light and darkness could easily tell that the teen's parents didn't believe a word either of them were saying, so the teen had simply taken matters into his own hands and unfurled his impressive wings.

Stunned, his parents had stared at the beautiful appendages for a long time before they finally worked up the courage to actually touch them. Tomoya had moved them so the two could get a better look at them and to verify by touch that not only were the wings real but also an actual part of their son's body. Once they believed the wings, it didn't take long to convince them of the rest. Surprisingly, the two had taken the news very well and were delighted to learn that not only did they have a granddaughter, but that there was a chance of more grandchildren in the future.

Tomoya's mother had explained it best, "The most important thing to your father and I, is that you live happily. That's why we could accept your being gay so easily. Finding out that you have magic, have already had a baby and could have more? Well that's just a blessing that we couldn't have possibly hoped for other wise.

((What are you doing love?)) Tomoya asked his mate, interrupting his reverie.

((Watching your mother teach our daughter,)) Dartz replied, turning and wrapping the teen into his arms as he came up behind him.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Watching Yuugi and Mahaado play board games had quickly become one of Kisara's favorite past times. It had started when the two of them had arrived to find their pharaoh helping Sugoroku stock the shelves of the store. Mahaado of course had freaked over the pharaoh performing manual labor and after numerous attempts to calm him, Atem had ordered the magician upstairs to help Yuugi with his house-cleaning chores.

Kisara had followed her husband upstairs and the pair had found the young light dancing around the living room floor. He was running the vacuum and had a pair of headphones on, leaving him completely oblivious to their approach.

When Mahaado had placed a hand on his shoulder, the teenager had shrieked and damn near hit the ceiling from fright. After a few moments he finally calmed his heart rate, and putting away the vacuum, told them both that he was actually finished. Mahaado had been about to go back downstairs when Yuugi suddenly stopped him asking if the magician would be willing to play a game with him. Kisara could see the struggle in her husband's expression, but the big, watery, puppy dog expression the amethyst-eyed teen was able to pull off had done him in.

Now, sitting on the couch watching the two play, the pale-skinned woman could hardly remember a time she'd had more fun. Yuugi was trying to play seriously, but kept having to remind Mahaado not to go easy on him, then the magician would apologize and Yuugi would tell him not to be sorry and they'd resume game play, only to start the whole process over again a few minutes later. By the time their pharaoh and Yuugi's grandfather joined them upstairs, Kisara was burying her face into a couch cushion in an attempt to muffle her laughter.

Nudging his frustrated mate aside, Atem had taken over and soon Kisara and Yuugi both were in hysterics on the living room floor. Life was good.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

**_"I think you should be more concerned with your own fate rather than that of your guard dogs," the sorcerer sneered, "But if you must know, I've sent them all to another dimension."_**

**_"WHAT?!!"_**

_**"And as for the your fellow monstrosities . . ." The man paused to wave two golden objects tauntingly in front of the Pharaoh: a ring with a triangle and eye in the center, and five cones hanging from the outside of the circlet and a set of scales bearing the same eye mark, "My acolytes and I have already sealed both your infiltrator and your tomb builder." He smiled nastily, "They were easy to defeat with their wretched ****akhu** **dead."**_

**_"You monster!" the priestess gasped in horror, looking as though she was struggling to hold back tears. "You murdered children to seal them?!"_**

**_"Gladly," he gloated, "You _****kkwy** and your **akhu** are abominations. Monsters parading about our world in mockery of true humans, you and your _ms-n hwi_ have no right living amongst humans!"

**_"What gives you the right to make that decision?!" the pharaoh snarled angrily._**

**_"My humanity," the sorcerer replied as though he thought the answer obvious. Signaling his men to begin the ritual, he muttered a quick spell to seal the room off. "Now, which one of you should I seal first?"_**

In a city far from Domino a young man bolted upright with a gasp, staring blankly into the darkness of his room. The nightmares were growing more and more detailed now and he was growing very concerned.

For months now, he'd been dreaming of Egypt. Ancient Egypt where he was a sorcerer who had raised an army to take down the weird creatures that had taken over the country, strange, unnatural creatures, that possessed wings or other magical abilities that normal humans weren't capable of. It was these creatures that disturbed him most of all and he prayed that they weren't real, such unnatural things shouldn't exist on Earth.

But the dreams were persistent.

Running a hand over his face he muttered to himself, "What does it all mean?"

-

November 30, 2008  
-edited May 30, 2009

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

_Owari?_


	24. Thank you and sequel

Author's note

First off, a big thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed, and favorited this story. I really do appreciate it.

Second: This story is finished, there will be no more chapters. But there is a sequel titled: **_Evading Destiny_**.

You'll find it here: http: / / www. fanfiction. net/ s/ 5642444/ 1/ Evading_Destiny

Finally: If you missed it in earlier notes, there is an unedited version of this story. You can find it on my Mediaminer account, my AFF account, my Yu-Gi-Oh website, or in my folder on Little Dragon. This will be the same case for Evading Destiny.

http: / / www. mediaminer. org/ fanfic/ src. php/ u/ 60276

http: / / ygo. adultfanfiction. net/ authors. php?no=1207

http: / / yugioh. db-asylum. com

http: / / groups. yahoo. com/ group/ little_Dragon/


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